


Username 101

by Zeds_Dead_Reader (Zeds_Dead)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angry Sex, Cybersex, Drug Use, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Gaming, Love/Hate, M/M, Masturbation, Murder, Online Friendship, Organized Crime, Propositions, Prostitution, Reader-Insert, Rough Sex, Sexual Tension, Smut, Strained Relationships, Strong Violence, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-26 07:35:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 79,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6229387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeds_Dead/pseuds/Zeds_Dead_Reader
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>People aggravated you to the point of nausea, so you tried to stay away from all but a small handful of them in real life, choosing instead to connect frequently with your online friend and live a faceless existence. Your main line of income also did not require much contact, disembodied messages telling you where and when and you carried out their illegal requests swiftly and with discretion.</p><p>Day to day, you made your way through life, content with your anonymity, until one day it all started to come tumbling down as you were dragged further and further into an intricate web of crime and lies, endangering yourself and those few that you were close to. New threats and enemies emerged, along with situations and feelings you had never thought possible.</p><p>All because of one person. The infuriating but intriguing man with the dark hair and piercing grey eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Virtual Reality

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted under my other deleted account in November, I'm moving everything over here now, taking my works with me.
> 
> Please note - these are 100% mine from my other account, if you have read this work before, it would have been on my other username. I have not stolen this.

Bringing your blade down in a swift movement, you took out another guard easily. Checking what he had on him, you sighed. Not what you wanted. Moving onto the next idiot, you gave him the same treatment, deftly slaughtering him in a few strokes. Still not what you were after. It was getting boring now and you reached for your beer, taking a long swig as you clicked the button to order your avatar to attack the next bot controlled sentry that protected the imaginary castle. This was what you did with your free time, entered the fantasy land of online gaming, spending hours honing your battle techniques along with important skills such as archery, building and stealing. It was as mundane as it was enjoyable, allowing you a break from reality that all too often turned into hours of life wasted away in front of a screen.

Lying on your bed, you moved your finger on the touch pad of your laptop to instruct the tiny, pixelated form to commence attack once more and as it set to work, you glanced up to the picture frame opposite. It was one of the many that hung around your apartment to brighten the place up and add your stamp of personality. Whatever that was. Your home was modest but spacious enough, always kept neat and tidy and free from unnecessary clutter, apart from on the walls. You liked to have the plain space filled with a combination of art and mementos and the one you looked at now contained many photos of you and what you considered your only real true friend. Different nights out and poses looked down at you from behind the glass, images of the woman you had known since you were both five years old.

Mikasa's jet black hair shone out and you scanned over snaps from drunken nights, gigs and random selfies. The one that caught your eye was from a fancy dress party at someone's house. Smiling at the memory, your head was filled with the story behind the small scene. It had been five years ago and at the younger age of twenty two, you had both been full of life and carefree abandonment, living in a house-share with four others that you actually didn't mind being around too much. The general public usually bothered you and there was no desire to make friends or influence people, as the saying went.

The ridiculously scant costumes you had worn that night, coupled with the free flowing booze and weed had ended up in something of a moment between you two, the start of a few month's worth of playing around. Nothing more than kisses and heavy groping, just a bit of light hearted fun. Eventually, you had both called time on it, not wanting to risk ruining the strong friendship you had. It had been fun, but not worth the obvious fallout and besides, you were really only fully interested in men. Well, interested was a long shot. You weren't a one night stand kind of girl, but you hadn't been with anyone longer than four months, either quickly growing tired of their boring personalities or they grew to hate your abrasive tendencies.

Turning your attention back to the screen, the item you sought still eluded you, but you smiled as a small notification told you of an online friend's actions. The white letters told you that Username 101 had logged on and you felt your mood lighten. It was one of the virtual friends you had, finding it much easier to converse and be yourself from the relative safety of your computer. Actually, it was the most interesting companion you had made along the way and you enjoyed the voiceless discussions you shared. Sure, it could be a fifty year old man or a twelve year old girl for all you knew, you were twenty seven, not naive enough to believe that everyone was honest online. The only personal information you had on him was that he was male, lived in the same city as you and, as he put it once, was more than old enough to fuck. Even that could be lies, but for some reason you doubted it.

You had spent hours over the past year chatting through the message service of the game, sharing thoughts on life, the universe and everything, avatars helping each other out on more difficult tasks that required the power of two. He seemed to have the same bleak outlook on humanity as you did, and you saw another box pop up. "Hey Lights. Totally fucked yet?" His sign in was a sarcastic joke on how people were so dull they couldn't figure out a unique online name and yours existed from the house you lived in prior to your own place. You liked your sleep, but the people you had shared an abode with seemed to enjoy staying up all night, leaving doors open and wasting electricity on every single bulb in the place. One Halloween you had all been listening to an old horror series that had originally been a radio show and a creepy voice introduced each episode with a slow, growling voice - "Lights out. Everybody." As soon as they heard it, it became your nickname as they had all listened to you yell similar words on many occasions in the early hours of the morning.

User, as you called him for speed, knew you weren't working tomorrow and expected quite correctly that you would be on your way to a fuzzy oblivion. When you said work, you meant the godforsaken coffee shop you made a pittance at, serving up all kinds of delicious hot beverages to the constant trail of annoying customers. It was your own choice though, forcing yourself to get out and mingle with society so you wouldn't become a total recluse. The way you made your real money was much more shady. It wasn't questionable, it was downright illegal, but it required minimum effort and no human contact.

Downing the remainder of your beer, you typed back to your friend. "Not anywhere near, User. How about you?" Reaching over to the nightstand, you picked up one of the joints you had pre-rolled and lit up, breathing in the thick, sweet smoke and smiling. Your peace was broken by a shout from the other side of the bedroom door. 

"(F/N), you're out of milk." The owner of the voice was the reason you were holed up in your bedroom, your idiot little brother who, until recently, had lived with his boyfriend. That was until he decided to cheat and got caught, then subsequently thrown out. He had come to you a month ago, begging to stay for a few days until he found a job and sorted himself out. He hadn't even tried your parents, neither of you being close with them in the slightest. The guy he had been with was a sort of sugar daddy, older and richer, so your brother just didn't bother working. You'd never met the other man, but he sounded nice enough so you had been furious when the stupid brunette you were related to admitted what he'd done.

Patience at it's limit, you hollered back into the adjoining room. "Well go to the fucking shop, Eren." You heard shuffling and the sound of metal being moved around, knowing full well he was currently raiding your change bowl. With a huff, you turned back to the important things. Weed and anonymous chat. There had been a reply to your last question, and you scanned over the words.

"Unfortunately not. Got to fucking work tonight. Just came on to harass you for a while." Having no clue what his job was, you just accepted it. If he wanted to tell you he would and you didn't press it. Similarly, he didn't know either of your professions, just that on Sundays, you stayed home. Taking a deep drag on today's relaxant of choice, you forgot that you were actually here to kill guards and your small warrior stood still on the screen awaiting orders as instead you typed away. 

"You know it's not harassment if the subject enjoys it, right? Coming back on later?" Disappointment ran through you as it you'd hoped to spend the evening getting wasted and conversing with the interesting man. Words flashed up again. 

"What's it worth?"

Laughing, your fingers ran across the keyboard with skill. Whoever it was at the other side of this exchange enjoyed to flirt with you, sometimes outrageously and you loved to wind him up. 

"I told you I'm not getting naked on a webcam for you, so fuck off. All I have to offer is my charming wit and delightfully cheery disposition." He seemed to be considering his reply, as it was taking longer than usual to get a response. 

"I'll give you a choice. I'll come back on if you promise to talk dirty to me. I've got a stressful evening ahead and I need some fucking relaxation." Shaking your head, a swift response was tapped out.   
"Piss off. If you want to jerk off, go for it. Don''t expect me to help you out."

The slamming of a door alerted you to the fact that your little shit of a brother had returned and you stubbed out the now finished joint, a light buzz settling nicely over you as the small notification screen came alive once more. 

"And I thought we were friends." With that, you were informed that User had logged out, but you knew he'd be back for more.

Many beers and another smoke later, you were nicely toasted, a silly grin on your face as you navigated your way through the fantasy world in front of you. Eren had gone quiet and you presumed he'd taken himself bed finally, leaving you in peace. It was past midnight now, but with no reason to get up in the morning it meant that you could continue without fear of losing any precious sleep. With slightly bleary eyes you spotted the words you had hoped to see. "Username 101 has logged on." Almost instantly, a message came through and you halted your journey through the small town on the screen to read it.

"So, despite having a shit night and being knocked back by you earlier, here I am. Are you coherent?" Perhaps not fully, you thought but enough to be able to slowly type a response. Using just two fingers now, you pressed the letters down carefully, head hanging down in concentration to ensure you spelt everything correctly. 

"Sort of, User. I must admit I am more than a little foggy headed, but all the better for seeing you." It took you a few minutes to get the words out and on to the screen and you unsteadily groped around to fetch another roll up, squeaking as you dragged in deeply. You wondered what he had been doing; it was only a few hours ago that you were speaking before, so not a very long time at all in which to carry out any kind of job. It gave you the distinct impression that it was something you wanted to know more about, but you kept your thoughts to yourself for now and looked down to see the continuation of your digital conversation. 

"Fucked enough to help me out?"

Grinning widely, you sighed. Flirting was one thing, however you weren't sure if you were ready to unleash the filth that lay within once more. You'd done it a few times in the past, a bit of fun to pass the time, but now it seemed different. It wasn't that you were a prude, far from it, you were open to anything really. But the two of you had spoken so much recently you felt like it would somehow be soiling the somewhat strange relationship. It would be fun though and as your heart began to race, your mind cleared slightly, enough to allow faster typing at least. "Ok, but this time, tell me when you're done. I don't want to be sitting here like before, giving you some of my best moves and you're not even reading."

A minute passed and you extinguished your smoke, waiting patiently. Signalling the start of another steamy exchange, his reply popped up. "Same applies to you."

~~~~~~~

As you woke, your stomach yelled at you for food, delayed munchies kicking in from last night. Groaning, you turned over and flopped on your back causing something to fall off the bed with a loud thump. You glanced across at the time. Nearly midday. Not surprising as you had no idea how late it was when you finally got to sleep. With effort, you propped yourself up on your elbows to survey your surroundings and saw the laptop still lying on top of the bed covers, screen still open but black now from a lack of electronic life. You peeked down to see what had been disturbed by your recent movement. Shit, not the fucking ashtray. It was housework day anyway, so you just made sure not to step in the pile of ash and butts when you got out of bed. 

Pulling open a drawer, you glanced over the array of cheap phones, checking for any sign of lights flashing. One was blinking out at you with a bright green and you brought it up to your face to read the message. Instructions for a transfer were displayed and luckily it had only been sent a few hours ago. You must have been totally out of it to not have heard the annoying alert that you had set up on all of them and you turned to plug the dormant computer into a source of power.

Leaving it to charge, you stepped into the small en suite bathroom to brush your teeth, bloodshot eyes staring back at you in the mirror, a trophy of your late night and substance abuse. Feeling decidedly more alive due to the minty taste, you moved out into the main living area, straight to the kitchen to make a coffee. As you waited for the water to boil, you grabbed a blueberry muffin from the counter, stuffing it hungrily into your mouth, leaving no crumb behind. No point wasting good food. There was no sign of Eren and you assumed he had either slept in like you, or was out getting up to no good as usual. 

Cup in hand, you returned to your bedroom and opened the windows, letting in the cool late Autumn air and sending out the sweet, sickly smell of last night's weed. Enough life had been pumped into your laptop for you to turn it on and you scooped the ashtray up from where it lay, lighting a cigarette and sipping at your drink.

You relayed the details from the phone into fields on the screen of the larger device, clicking buttons and ensuring it had gone through correctly. No names were ever given and the handset that had sprung into life as you had slept was from someone you knew only as Boy. God knows why, stupid thing to call yourself, you thought as you responded to let whoever it was know your task had been completed. In the space of five minutes you had transferred the no doubt ill gotten money seamlessly from one account to another, employing the use of technology that would mask your IP address.

It was something you'd fallen into when you were younger and just carried on, laundering money like it was as innocent and simple as sending an email. It paid relatively well too and as you sent the figures on to their new home, you took your cut and siphoned it to your account via a string of other blockers. It had obviously crossed your mind about where the money came from, but for the time being you didn't care, as long as it wasn't affecting you. Such was your apathy for human kind and you felt no guilt whatsoever.

Housework completed, you had showered and changed, black jeans and a dark tshirt being your standard uniform and made your way through to the living room. Still no sign of Eren, so you peeked your head round the door to the smaller bedroom. The sheets were screwed up in a ball that implied an active night's sleep, clothes all over the floor, but no idiot brother. Pulling your personal phone out, you unlocked the screen and scrolled through to find his number, which had been saved under the name Shithead. It rang out and you were sent to voicemail. Waiting for the annoying voice to tell you when it was time to speak, you paced around. It was unusual for him to just leave for this long without at least putting a note somewhere and as much as he annoyed you, he was still family.

The beep sounded out and you left your short, stern message. "Listen you shit, wherever you are just call me, ok?" Now you were on edge and couldn't stop prowling round your home. Deciding to take action, you grabbed your now fully charged laptop from the bedroom and the small tin that sat in your nightstand and got comfortable on the couch. Familiar music announced that you were once more immersed in the addictive game world and as you lit up, the combination of feeling at home mixed with drugs made your nerves slightly less frayed. Commencing the trek through a spooky forest, your avatar went in bursts of running and walking, depending on whether they were low on energy or not. A blinking in the corner demanded your attention and you sucked deeply on the thin white cone that sat between your fingers as you read.

"Want more already, Lights?" About to fire off a derogatory comment, your phone rang and you jumped, the loud ringtone pulling you from the daydream you were having. The screen let you know it was Shithead and you picked up the call as you typed a short message to the man that was awaiting a response. 

"Hang on." If you were inactive long enough, the game threw you out, you had to log on again and you didn't want User thinking that you were ignoring him. "Eren, where the fuck are you?" The sound of your brother laughing along with an unfamiliar voice in the background filtered through and you rolled your eyes as you spoke again. "Who did you get hold of this time?"

The still childish sounding tone of his voice came clearly to you, as innocent as he could manage. "It's not like that, (F/N), just a friend. He called this morning, wanted to know if I could come hang out." Yea right. Sighing, you told him just to be fucking careful and not be late home. You felt like a goddamn mother. The call ended and you turned back to the screen, still logged in. 

"Sorry I'm back." Joint finished, you rummaged around in your bag that lay by your feet where you had dropped it last night and pulled your pack of cigarettes out, popping one between your lips as a reply was received. 

"Trouble?" Snorting, you smiled wryly. If only he knew.

"Just my dick of a brother being a fuckwit again."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"Well, now you do." Up until this point, you'd shared personalities, opinions and thoughts, sometimes dirty but nothing about yourselves like name or family. It wasn't a particularly conscious effort, more of an unspoken agreement that the way you chatted freely was just fine. Maybe that was changing, you thought as another line sprung up.

"How old is he?"

"22"

"Older or younger?"

"Younger and stupider"

"How old are you?" Nope. He at least had a bottom bracket to go by now and that's all you were prepared to give.

"A lady never reveals her age."

"Lady? After the things that come out of your filthy fucking mind?" Smirking, you swiftly made your comment, words spilling out from your finger tips.

"I can be a lady on the outside and still be full of smut in the confines of my own home. Now get your ass over here to the woods, I need help on this fucking quest."

~~~~~~

By eight you were back in your room, lying on your bed staring vacantly at the shit on TV, stuffing your face with crisps. A few more noises had sounded from your drawer throughout the day, but all was quiet now. Crime apparently didn't care that it was Sunday and in fact it was normally your busiest day, the events of the weekend culminating in the need to move currency around. Without leaving your apartment, you had made enough to pay all of the bills for the next three months and have some spare. Hearing a noise, you tilted your head as small crashes trickled through and you surmised that Eren had finally dragged himself home. A few bangs suggested that the fridge had been opened and shut and almost as a reminder, you reached over to take a drink of your beer. Ten minutes passed and you heard faint voices. Fucking idiot brought someone home again, you grumbled internally and sat up, in no mood to be disturbed when you planned to get a good night's sleep.

As you pulled the door open, the sight that met you had not been what you had expected and you were livid. Some random guy with light hair was sat back on your couch and your brother was practically on top of him. Mouths were connected, tongues down each other's throats, small moans filling the room. That wasn't what pissed you off. What made you furious was the fact that the stranger's cock was sticking out proudly from his loosened jeans and your sibling's hand was pumping it feverishly up and down. You'd shared a home with horny young adults for years, hearing and seeing your fair share of activity, being the subject of it at times however this was your limit. This was your place. Your brother. Your couch.

"Eren, for the love of fucking god," you shouted. Two flushed faces stared over and you waved a hand across at the smaller bedroom. "Get the fuck in there. I don't want cum on my furniture." Muttering, the body of your totally inappropriate relative dragged the taller man away to privacy. 

"It's ok if you have someone round." Losing any thread of sanity you had left, you screamed out. 

"It's my fucking house! I can do whoever I want, wherever I want. You can't!" Sheepishly, they hurried to the other room, slamming the door at the same time you threw yours shut.

Turning up the TV to drown out the noises that would undoubtedly be violating your ears soon, you grabbed your phone, angrily tapping out a text. "Mikasa you won't believe what just fucking happened." Almost instantly, a reply came through to you to ask for more information and you wondered if she was actually surgically attached to her phone. You explained the scene you had just walked in on and waited for her to respond with some kind of validation, agreeing that it was the stuff of nightmares. Instead, you received a message that made you even angrier. 

"He's only having fun. Anyway, you should've watched." She was horrifically dirty minded, much like you, but that was bordering on incest and you were not amused.

"Really?! He's my fucking brother Mikasa. You come round and watch if you want to, but don't say that shit to me again." Lighting a cigarette, you inhaled violently just as your friend's next offering popped up. 

"I'm only messing, (F/N). Sorry. Fancy going out on Friday?" Accepting her apology for now, you pushed the annoyance down and began a short conversation that planned out your night of drinking and no doubt dancing.

~~~~~~

Coffee was steaming in the cup on your kitchen surface and you stood staring at it as you buttoned up your white work uniform shirt. It was nearly time to leave for your masochistic attempt at reality. You knew you could quit any time, but it kept up the facade of being a normal person with a normal income and seeing as no one knew how you really made your money, it made a good cover story. Tight black trousers completed your outfit and you shoved your name badge in your bag. There was no way you were going to be wearing that whilst walking down the street, how embarrassing would that be?

Sipping the black liquid, you were aware of an approaching figure but continued to stare straight ahead at one of the wooden cupboard doors. A throat was cleared, and an introduction made. "Erm, (F/N), hi. I'm Jean and.…" Cutting him off, you spoke in a hiss without moving. 

"I don't give a shit who you are and I think I've already seen enough of you, so please just get the fuck out of my face." He complied and shuffled back to where your brother lay, probably still asleep.

With a shake of your head, you gathered your things and left the apartment. The walk was short and pleasant enough, leaves spiralling around you and collecting in piles that begged to be jumped in. Warm colours were everywhere, reds and browns mixed with the trees that still tried to cling onto their green foliage and a small breeze ran across your face, clearing the fog of sleep that had been draped heavily since you reluctantly got up this morning.

The coffee shop was small but always busy, an independent store rather than a branded one and people around here liked that. Something different from the norm to make them feel like they were doing a good thing, supporting local enterprise or some shit like that. Gritting your teeth, you pushed the door open to be met by the noise of steam, cups and early morning chatter. The owner, your boss, was bearable, a hulking giant of a man with bulging muscles and sensible blonde hair. His massive eyebrows raised in acknowledgement and you raised a hand weakly. Bag and coat stowed safely out back, badge in place on your chest, you stepped in behind the shining metal coffee machines and pulled one of the small maroon aprons around your waist, the black embroidery on it announcing the name of the place you stood in. Smiths. How original to name a shop after yourself you thought, scowling out at the growing queue of customers.

"Maybe don't show them how much you hate them, (F/N)?" A low voice whispered in your ear, and you glanced up to see the smiling face that had just chided you. With a huff, you smoothed out the apron and grumbled back to him. 

"When are you getting more staff, Erwin? We can't keep being the only two here." Taking payment from a stuffy business man, your boss quickly replied. 

"I've got interviews this afternoon, don't worry." Dread set in at the prospect of another idiot to deal with, even if they would be lightening the load and you looked out to see who to serve next.

There was a queue of about five people and at the back stood your nemesis. Maybe that was a bit extreme, but you couldn't stand him and he seemed to be everywhere. He was always in here, popped up in bars and clubs, was round the corner of the cereal aisle in the supermarket. Every fucking where. The man thought he was something special, way above the likes of you and the superiority he seemed to ooze was effortless. Attending to orders, you kept glaring up at him, seething with disgust that you barely kept hidden and it was made even worse by the fact that he stared straight back with his grey eyes, a slight smug expression on his pale features.

Inevitability set in and eventually you were face to face with him, dark hair falling down the sides of his head perfectly, not a strand out of place. His white shirt and black jeans combination pissed you off too, but you weren't sure why. Maybe it was the way his sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, or that despite your distaste, the light fabric gave you an eyefull of his toned body. Either way, fury was ignited as his voice drawled across to you from smirking lips. "And how are we today?" Grunting, you turned to fetch his usual - tea, no milk, no sugar, to take away. "Well aren't you little Miss Happy," he purred and you tried to ignore his sarcastic comment. Pushing the drink across carefully, you plastered on the most sickly sweet smile you could and spoke in a sing song voice. 

"There we are, Sir. Now you be sure to have a great day."

Eyebrows raised, same annoying curl on his lips, he pulled out a roll of bank notes from his pocket and peeled one away carefully. How vulgar. A sickening attempt to try and show how affluent he was by flashing the cash. The liberated money was passed delicately across to you and it took all of your strength to stop yourself from snatching it out of his stupid fucking hand, so instead you jabbed the buttons of the register with a bit too much force, digging out the change. Snapping your head up, the same syrupy smile on your face, you maintained steady eye contact with his silvery gaze, challenging him almost as you passed the coins over. As the money dropped into his palm, he curled his grasp around it, finger tips grazing against your outstretched hand. You retracted your arm like he had just burnt you and watched as the infuriating man's orbd flashed before he turned on his heel and marched away with a self important strut.

As the morning rush subsided, you took your frustration out on the coffee machine, giving it the scrub of it's life. Erwin leant over to you, wide smile in place. "What is it with you and that guy, (F/N)?" Continuing your attack on the machine, you didn't look up as he carried on. "I'm just waiting for the day that you lean over and punch him in the face." The image of it appeared in your head and you began to smile, thinking how good it would be to wipe the smugness from him and leave a mark on his flawless face. Your boss shook his head and began his rounds, picking up empty cups and gathering litter.

~~~~~~

Finally you were back home, still fuming and muttering to yourself as you grabbed your laptop from the bed. Sitting down on the soft couch, you cracked open a beer and got ready to send your electronic persona on the search for jewels. A greeting appeared that helped to lift your spirits slightly. "Evening sweet cheeks. Good day at work?" Any joy you felt quickly disappeared and you took a long drink before responding. 

"No." Clicking on some objects, you watched as the little person picked up items and chiselled away at some non-existent rocks to obtain more, small tinny sound effects adding to the ambient music. 

"Who pissed you off today, Lights?" At first you weren't sure you wanted to get into it, as it would surely only serve to aggravate you again, but you needed to get it off your chest.

"It's nothing, just some prick at work who thinks he's so fucking great. Just fucks me off, the way he walks, the way he looks, everything." When you put it like that, it sounded idiotic, childish almost and you hoped it didn't make you seem like you were throwing a hissy fit over it. The reply you received was not what you had been expecting, and it made you lean forward with interest. 

"Sounds like you've got a thing for him." You most certainly did not, but you weren't angry at the statement that sat in front of you and yet again you forgot about the poor avatar on the screen, leaving them to continue their manual labour as you held a fast conversation.

"Not in the slightest, User. Is that jealousy I detect?"

"Fuck off, of course not. I don't even know you."

"I think you know more about me than most people, actually."

"How so? I have no idea what you look like, how old you fucking are, your name."

"All irrelevant. You know my personality and that is something that very few others could say."

"If you're telling the truth." The perils of online friends surfaced again and you would be lying if you said you weren't bothered by his last words. For some reason you had always thought that User of all people would be able to see through any deceit, as he certainly seemed extremely astute and scarily good at assessing you. But still, that was all based on information he had given you, the way he passed comment on any discussions you may have had on current affairs, history, the dullness of celebrities. And you supposed even that could be a front, but you were determined to believe that it wasn't. Even more so, you were set on making it clear that you weren't hiding behind a persona either.

"Don't you think it would be fucking hard to keep up a fake personality for all this time? When have I ever said anything that would make you doubt that I am genuine? To be honest, User, I'm not sure about you but I don't have the stamina to keep up a facade." The screen remained dormant a while and you raised your lighter to allow the warming feeling of a narcotic haze to wash over you, breathing in deeply and holding it for a while before exhaling the smoke. A short message flicked up and you took your time to read it carefully, as he had obviously put a lot of thought into it.

"Ok. I know what you're saying and I want to fucking trust you because despite the fact that I can't abide most people, I do actually find you acceptable." You took that as a backhanded compliment, but you weren't sure how to respond. Alleviating you from having to think what to say, another line of words appeared.

"You never know, I might actually take you out some time."


	2. Familiar Faces

Pulling on your rather low cut black dress, you checked your reflection for any areas of make up that would need to be touched up before leaving and stepped into shiny black heels. Mikasa was fussing around behind you, her own dark dress already in place. There was a bottle of wine on the go, music blaring out and she leant over to pass you the half smoked joint, signalling your turn had arrived. It'd been a while since the two of you had been out to a club and it was definitely a good time to be letting off steam after the week you had just endured. 

Erwin had decided on a new member of staff but you were yet to meet them and each and every single fucking day that prick of a man had been in for his tea, sarcastic comments flowing from his thin lips. Trying to shake his image from your head, you threw your glass back and downed the contents, white wine sliding down to invade your bloodstream and mix with the drugs.

The club was a strange place, one you went to quite regularly for that very reason. All walks of life were here and it didn't seem to cater for any specific genre or style, almost a feeling of anything goes. It was easy to fade into the background too as most people were as accepting or, in your case, uncaring of those around them. The only rule that seemed to exist here was don't fuck about. It had never been written, or put on a poster somewhere, just everyone seemed to know that if you didn't like the way someone was dressed, or if you took offence to a man kissing another man, then you either put up with it quietly or fucked off home. There was only one time you had seen it happen, when a guy had started to lay into someone for having pink dreadlocks in their hair. He didn't last long and bouncers hadn't even been needed as fellow clubbers ejected his sorry ass. It was a place to be yourself and if that meant being anonymous, then all the better.

During the night, you and Mikasa had consumed shot after shot, spirit after spirit and danced like there was no tomorrow, hands all over each other. It was all in the name of relaxation though, especially seeing as she was in the start of a new relationship. You hadn't met the girl, but had seen a picture of the stern looking blonde and she sounded nice enough.

Stopping for a breather, Mikasa grabbed your hand and led you over to the bar, both of you thankfully sitting on the stools to ease your aching feet. More drinks ordered, your friend turned to you, speaking into your ear to be heard. "So when are you going to get yourself a man, (F/N)? Been plenty checking you out tonight!" Her words tickled at your skin and you smiled at her attempt to set you up with a random guy. It was your turn to place your mouth close, responding as you threw your arm around her waist to steady yourself. 

"You know I'm not compatible with most people, we just need to find someone with as little tolerance for life as me and I'll be fucking happy." Which you had, almost, but he might not even be who he claimed and you pushed the thought away, letting your head rest on Mikasa's shoulder.

You felt a pat on your leg in sympathy. She didn't know about User or the game you disappeared into on a practically daily basis and probably wouldn't understand, so you kept it to yourself. A voice suddenly sounded out behind you as a hand was placed on your arm and you instinctively spun round, fist raised as they spoke. "You ladies looking for a good time?" Recognition flashed over your face and you stiffened, Mikasa jumping up to push the older man away without knowing who it was that leered down at you. 

It had been four years ago that you had met and now here you were, face to face for the second time in your life. He must have thought he was a cowboy or something, dark hat on his head, empty leather holsters around his shirt and a disgusting toothy grin on his face. The only contact you now had was through one of the cheap phones that lay in your bedroom and you placed a grip on Mikasa to reassure her as you smiled without humour at your first and still best employer.

"We were having a fucking good time, thanks," you growled. "What do you want?" You had to lean in to make your voice heard and as his eyes flicked down at your cleavage, you rolled your eyes. Having no idea what the man's name was, you just sat back and waited for a reply from the person you knew only as Special K. Again, a stupid fucking thing to call yourself. It was a breakfast cereal for fuck sakes. The yellowed grin widened and he shrugged slowly, getting close again and now not even trying to hide the fact that his eyes were all over your chest. 

"Just checking you're ok. Have fun." With a wink, he strolled off, leaving you in peace. It had felt awful to have his gaze on your skin and you shivered involuntarily as you watched him slither through the crowds.

It had been at a house party, a boring one, when you first met the man who started you off on your path to illegal activity. Most of the people there were unknown to you and Mikasa was chasing after some girl, so you were left alone, glaring out at the sea of uninteresting looking guests. That was when he approached you and although he was much older than the rest of the crowd, no one else seemed to mind. After a few words were exchanged, he just moved on and outright asked you if you'd be interested in some work. At first, you had told him exactly where he could shove it, presuming he meant something debauched, but he just laughed at you and explained. So easy, so safe if you used the correct protection and ultimately rewarding.

Not agreeing straight away, you stood and considered it first and he let you, remaining quiet. You weighed up the pros and cons, coming to the conclusion that not having to deal with people was a definite advantage. That and the money. It wasn't necessarily that you were reckless, just slightly apathetic about potential repercussions. Once you had decided, you sealed the deal with a handshake and a phone was passed to you with the promise of a message the next day. True to his word, you received instructions and began to work for him, moving his money around. After time, you were provided with more devices by way of an anonymous pick up and your business grew, all by word of mouth in the circle of criminals. Which brought you to today.

Mikasa looked worried and you smiled at her, rubbing a hand up and down her back. "It's ok, just an old friend." She frowned, but accepted your dismissal of the man and led you back onto the dance floor, words in your ear once more. 

"If you say so (F/N). Lets go." A multitude of bodies were grinding and writhing in time to the music, all ages and races combined in one huge fleshy group and you began to relax again, arms around your friend's waist, her hands on your ass as you swayed closely together, intending on staying pressed to one another for the remaining hour that the place stayed open for.

~~~~~~

By Monday morning you had pretty much gotten back to normal, any haze of a hangover gone. The weekend was a blur of easy work, topping up the alcohol in your bloodstream and smoking yourself senseless. And your online chats, naturally. You hadn't left your apartment since you returned home at some ridiculous hour on Saturday morning and luckily Eren had been with his new boyfriend, fuck buddy, whatever that guy meant to your brother, meaning you had the place mostly to yourself. The few times he had popped in, it was just to grab clothes or "borrow" money from you, but you gladly paid him to leave.

Texts had been sent back an forth between you and Mikasa as you helped each other fill in the blanks of Friday night, laughing at the bits you couldn't remember and teasing her about the guy who kept trying to get in her underwear. User had been more chatty than normal and you spent a large chunk of the weekend conversing. He mentioned no more about the possibility of meeting so you left it alone, presuming it had been a moment of madness on his part.

Standing behind the coffee machines, you filled cups and mugs expertly as Erwin busied himself with setting things up for the new starter. The part of the day that sent you crazy was upon you. Shooting daggers from your eyes across into the smirking face of your adversary, you passed him his stupid fucking tea. There was no queue and he took his time fetching money to pay, extending your suffering second by agonising second. "So…" he began, tilting his head and gazing down at your breast, making a huge show of looking at your name badge although he knew full well what it was, having seen it many times before. "…(F/N)? Looked like you were having a good time on Friday." You froze and scowled at his glinting steel eyes, hating the way he stood slightly on one hip, body language taunting you, smug face just begging to be punched.

Not rising to it, you stuck your hand out, waiting for payment. As the note was pressed slowly into your hand he leaned in, not letting go of the money yet, fingers lightly touching your palm. The danger in his eyes was bright and he delivered his next words with a low, growling voice. "I didn't realise you were into women." Pulling back, you hit the buttons required on the register, holding the coins tightly and fixing a smile on your face. You slowly lowered your arm, bypassing his waiting hand and placed the money on the wooden surface gently. 

"Only at the weekend," you snarled, trying not to bear your teeth at him with rage. The raven haired man raised his drink to sip and you swore you saw a hint of a smile before he hid it with the white cardboard cup and he pushed the metal objects back over to you with a languid swipe. 

"Keep it. Think of it as a tip for good service."

As he swept out, you caught yourself staring at his ass and cursed internally at your animal instinct. Gathering the money, you grumbled to yourself and threw it heavily into the jar that honest, well meaning customers left their own offerings and sighed. Fucking dick. Mentally shaking the maddening person from you, the sight that now reached your already incensed eyes was enough to nearly break you. A grin shone over from beneath a sickeningly familiar head of hair, your mouth dropped open and before you could even begin to process the fact that your mortal enemy had been watching you and Mikasa in the club, this new hell washed over you.

"No, no, no," was all you could manage at first as you pointed at the man you knew for all the wrong reasons. "Erwin, tell me you're joking?" Your boss looked down at you with a mix of confusion and exasperation. 

"Play nice, (F/N)" he said gently. He liked you, that's why he tolerated the rude remarks you often made. The large man could see you for what you really were, a socially awkward soul who pushed yourself to do this job day in day out in an attempt to be more normal. And you were good at it. He had no idea why you had taken offence to the man he had just recruited, but it didn't surprise him. Your brows knotted with annoyance and you glared up at the new member of staff as you were introduced. "(F/N), this is…" 

Waving the words away, you continued to hold gazes and muttered to your boss. "I know, it's Jean, and believe me I have no desire to get any closer to him than I have already." A pair of large eyebrows raised and you turned to Erwin, ready to expand on your statement. "Don't worry, he's not an ex or anything." You guessed that's what he would have thought and wanted to dispel that myth straight away. Leaving them to do the standard induction into the world of coffee, you made your way out to tidy tables, wondering why the world had been so cruel to you already this morning.

~~~~~~~

Just over a week later and Wednesday evening brought wind, rain and a surprise. Work at the shop had been unbearable since your brother's fuck toy had been employed there and you tried your best to keep your distance. What made it worse was that he kept appearing at your home too, so you had pretty much become a prisoner in your own bedroom, keeping in contact with the outside world by way of texts to Mikasa and messages to User. They were now the only two people you bothered with, the only ones you enjoyed. You felt like a teenager again, holed up in your cave with your computer, sulking and morose and you had begun to seriously consider quitting the coffee shop. Something kept stopping you, but you couldn't figure out what exactly.

Sleep wasn't coming easy to you at the moment, a result of the amount of time you spent online as staring at the screen into the early hours of the morning was messing with your ability to switch off and rest. You woke frequently during the night and every time you found it ridiculously hard to stop thoughts and ideas racing through your brain, preventing you from falling back into slumber. It sometimes resulted in having to admit defeat and get up well before your usual alarm call of 8am.

But it didn't stop you and the end of another working day signalled the start of another virtual evening. It was whilst you were in the middle of a debate with your online friend that the noise alerted you, dragging you from the important topic of which of the Alien films was the best one.

Shuffling around the drawer, you pulled the phone out, the one that belonged to the man who got you started in all this and you saw a message you hadn't seen for a while. "Found a new friend. I'll introduce you at 9." Great. That meant you had to go out in this shitty weather, get sodding wet to collect another device from the drop off point half an hour away. With a sigh, you replied to say you couldn't wait to meet them, the signal that you were on board with it all and you turned back to the larger screen that shone out in your otherwise dark room. The latest alert that met you was two messages from User, one to conclude the previous discussion that outlined just why you were wrong in your choice of film. Secondly, you had been apologetically informed that he would be logging off soon to go to work again. It was always around this sort of time he would leave you, but came back a few hours later, usually without fail. It was good timing, as it was actually close to half eight already and you had to get a move on.

"No worries User, I got some shit to get done too. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Well that still allows me most fucking things, Lights. What shall I steer clear of? Bestiality? That's probably about all, right?"

"Don't try to be a clever little shit. See you later if you're lucky." Not giving him a chance to fire off a witty remark, you disconnected and shut the laptop. Downing the remainder of your beer, you looked through your wardrobe for a jumper, pulling a dark blue one over your head and glancing out the window. Still pissing down. Marvellous. The rest of the apartment was quiet apart from faint noises that seeped out of the second bedroom and you quickly gathered your coat and umbrella before the sounds got any louder. Boots on and bag in place, you stepped out and marched down the communal hallways, making your way down the stairwell two at a time.

The heavy rain beat down relentlessly and the large umbrella was nearly pulled from your hands in a strong gust of wind. Head down, you forced your way across town, each step sending puddles of water flying to create new pools. Your hair whipped around your face making it hard to see and you cursed the stupid old man for choosing today to drag you from the warmth of your home. Probably did it on purpose, you thought and shivers ran through your body as another wave of chilled air blew fiercely around the dark streets.

Finally you saw the lights of the train station, the imposing building towering up into the rain streaked sky. The large clock indicated it was five to nine and you rushed through the traffic of both people and cars to get inside. Announcements echoed around the expansive marble room, letting everyone know which train was leaving and from which platform. Bodies milled about, some waiting patiently, others dashing through the concourse in a full out run to make their respective rides home. You moved purposefully through the crowd, leaving a trail of drips behind you from your umbrella, footsteps determined but not hurried, eyes straight ahead and emotionless. It looked a natural pace and if anyone had seen you, it would seem like you just knew where you were going, a boring destination in mind.

It became increasing obvious that someone was watching you, but it wasn't a surprise. Every time you had done this there had been eyes on you, ensuring the pick up was a success or simply keeping tabs. You didn't even bother to try and find out who gazed and you were sure they would probably follow you home too. It didn't make you scared or angry in the slightest. In the four years that you had been in the man's employ, no harm had befallen you and there seemed no reason to suddenly want to hurt you. He wouldn't be giving you a fuller workload if this arrangement was over and you felt secure as you lifted a key from your bag, placing it in locker number 169. Small package retrieved, you stashed it safely and turned to make the trek home.

Whoever it was, they were indeed still on your trail, the feeling of eyes trained on you remaining as you hurried through the storm. Not far from your building, the sensation lifted and you presumed they had been sufficiently satisfied that you made it back safely. Removing your sodden outer garments, you shivered once more, hair tangled and wind swept, cheeks burning from the cold night air. Grabbing two beers from the fridge, you quickly made your way to the bedroom, talking to yourself to give a distraction to the moans of the two men in your apartment. They had stamina, that was true, but it was not a good thing and you slammed your door shut and turned the TV on just as you heard your shitty brother's name called out in a deep voice.

You grabbed a towel from the en suite and peeled off your wet jeans, dropping them along with the rest of your clothes in the hamper and dried yourself down. Clean pyjamas on, you opened the laptop and swigged at your beer, sending your avatar off to carry out a menial task. User wasn't online yet and you continued in the game, waiting patiently for him to return. A sound announced a message and you grabbed the phone from the drawer, the man who had instructed you earlier was in contact again. Blood running cold, you stared down at the words in disbelief. "We have a problem. Meet Friday at the place we last saw each other. 9pm." What the fuck? You did everything right, you were sure there were no police around watching you so what was the problem?

Worry gnawing, a quick stretch ensured your tin was in your hands, joint being swiftly rolled. As you breathed in, a slight feeling of calm began to infiltrate the trepidation and you glanced across, notification flashing on the screen. "Alright Lights?"

"No not really."

"Care to share?"

"Just fucking work. It's nothing major." Massive lie, but you were certainly not getting him involved in your shit.

"Sure?"

"Yea, I'm ok, just a rough day." Knowing full well he was aware you had been fine before, you hoped he wouldn't question it. Luckily he didn't, just went into filth mode.

"Want me to help you out?"

"Not the best time, User. My brother's fucking someone in the other room and it's a bit of a mood killer to be fair." The reply you received was altogether unexpected.

"Why don't I come over and we'll show them how it's done." As much as you were previously aware of the goings on across the apartment, now the only thing you could think of was the man you knew so much yet so little about. Not even knowing what he looked like, your mind wandered and imagined his hands all over your body, wondering how he would feel inside you. But there was no way you were about to start giving your address out online. And he seemed to know it.

"Don't worry Lights, I know what you're thinking. But believe me, it would be fucking amazing."

"I don't doubt it for one second."

~~~~~~

Somehow you had made it through the next two days without exploding with nerves, helped along the way with your usual evening substances. Not much care had been taken over your outfit for tonight as you weren't going to the club for a laugh. It felt a bit weird to be coming here without Mikasa and not totally fucked, but you had to keep somewhat clear headed and you couldn't bring her into this spiral of shit you were being dragged into.

Standing against the wall, drink in hand and dressed all in black, you scanned across the full dance floor looking for the familiar man in the hat. The music pounded and despite still being early, the place was absolutely rammed full of the usual interesting mix of people. A few glances came your way, men and women looking you up and down, but something about the way you held your expression told them to move on, not to bother offering the lone figure a drink or a dance. It was now twenty past nine and you were becoming restless. If someone said nine, it meant nine to you, not twenty minutes later.

You watched as two women gyrated against a very happy looking man and sighed, throwing back the remainder of your drink down your throat and thinking how that should be you, carefree and having fun on a Friday night. Instead, you were a bundle of anxiety, considering your next move. Before you could make the short trip to the bar, a set of yellow teeth grinned at you as their owner swept past and without having to be told, you followed through the throngs of people, keeping an eye on the black headgear and finally came to a stop at a table in the corner, away from prying eyes.

Your employer had two beers in his hand and slid one across the wooden surface towards you. Both taking a long drink without breaking eye contact, you sized him up. He didn't look pissed off, he didn't look anything at all really, just the same constant grin that held no humour. Leaning back in his chair, he took another swig and finally began to explain why you were here.

"Someone followed you on Wednesday." No shit. With rolling eyes, you placed an elbow on the table and moved forward. 

"I know, one of yours?" The widening smile told you that he was suitably impressed with your observational skills, and he delivered his next line. 

"Yes, of course. But this time, someone else did too." Eyes wide, you tried to figure out what this meant for you. Did they see your home? Had they trailed you before? Who the fuck were they?

Sensing the look on the face of the woman he sat with, the man gave more details, fleshing out the story. "Don't worry, my man dealt with him. We always keep a watchful eye on our employees, for protection, you understand?" Yea, you understood. Protection and to make sure you weren't fucking about or contacting the police. Waiting for the next part, you sat back and sipped at your drink, growing unease settling in and making your bones ache.

"The guy wasn't anyone important, but will no doubt be part of something bigger. Until we know what, we will have to remain vigilant, you see?" Which you took to mean more people following you. Remaining silent, you scowled across, attention firmly on the older man as he raised his eyebrows. "This gent will be looking after you, Miss. Try to imagine he's not even there." Following his pointed finger, you turned around and looked up into a face you recognised and internally screamed as grey eyes flashed with mischief down at you, top lip curled in a small sneer that told you he was enjoying every single minute of this.

"Evening, (F/N)." Shooting out of your seat, you stood and stared up into those gleaming orbs, thinking about how you would like to poke your fingers in them right now. Instead, you shook your head. 

"Fuck off. No way." The smug expression on his face increased, infuriating you more as pieces of the puzzle began to fit into perfect place. That's why he was everywhere, when you went out, at work, shopping, on the street. And presumably Wednesday night, too.

"Problem?" The voice from the table didn't register in your ears and you continued to glare up at the reason for a lot of your anger. The subject of your hatred answered, but kept his eyes on you, dragging them slowly down your body, taking you all in. 

"She's just got a thing for me. No need to worry." Before you could even fully bring your fist back to lay a punch on his pale face, you felt hands and were spun round, arm twisted unnaturally behind as you were pulled back into him, a grip tightly around your throat. As he spoke in your ear, it sent shivers through you that made you despise yourself, disgusted with the sparks that lit up in your stomach. "Don't ever try and fucking hit me again, (F/N)."

The man at the table frowned and waved his hand to signal this was to stop. Now. "Leave her alone, Levi. I'm trusting you with this because she's very important. And nephew or not, I won't have you fucking about with your colleagues." Throat released, you swallowed gladly and the pressure on your arm vanished, but the hand that had previously been cutting off your air supply was now strongly curled around your waist, holding you in place as he answered your boss. 

"I'm only messing, Kenny. Just a bit of fun." Squirming, you tried to escape but the man you now knew as Levi was remarkably strong and he pulled you closer with ease. "You like a bit of fun, don't you (F/N)?" Finally managing to wiggle slightly free, you made a move in the only direction you could and found yourself face to face with him, his arm still around you, noses touching. There was a small sparkle in his eyes that was gone as quickly as it had appeared and he looked down slightly at your parted lips. Mustering all your strength, you pushed against his chest and managed to get a few inches between the two of you. Kenny, as he was called apparently, spoke up. 

"I mean it." Levi held his hands up and smirked as you turned and slumped back in your seat, grumbling over the table.

"Isn't there anyone else?" You jabbed your thumb behind you in the direction of your fucking annoying protection detail, earning yourself a laugh from the older man. It sounded like a plank of wood being snapped in half, a dry, loud noise and he shook his head. 

"Afraid not, (F/N). He knows your movements well, it would be irresponsible to bring anyone else in at this delicate stage in the game. And besides," he pointed up. "He's extremely good at taking down any potential threats." Thoroughly pissed off, you picked up the bottle in front of you and sucked deeply, downing the majority of the beer in three long gulps, slamming it back down once it was drained. Levi had moved to stand behind his uncle and two mildly amused faces looked over at you.

It was Kenny who brought it back to business, his gravelly voice sounding out once more. "Levi, go on your little fact finding mission. Take your new friend. She might learn a thing or two." The dark haired man stuck his arm out in an arc, like he was inviting you to take a romantic moonlight stroll on the beach, not go walking down what undoubtedly would be seedy city backstreets. Huffing, you stood and stormed off, bashing into his ridiculous arm as you passed to go and retrieve your coat from the cloakroom, fully intending to ditch him once you were outside. As you left, you heard Kenny's laughter but the music didn't allow you to hear what he said after. "She's got fire in there, Levi. Watch her closely." With a smirk, your new guard strode away to catch up with you, watching your body as it swayed with every angry footstep.

Cold air hit you, making your cheeks pink almost instantly and you pulled the pack of cigarettes from your pocket, lighting up and wishing it was something stronger. Spinning to walk in the direction of home, you were stopped in your tracks by a tight grip on your arm. You had a choice. Did you try to fight it, or give in and follow the intolerable man to wherever he was planning on taking you? He was strong, yes, but you had a lit cigarette that you could shove in his face and the pure hatred that ran through your veins would surely add to your own power. But what did you have to lose? The shit had hit the proverbial and there was something about Levi that at the same time infuriated and excited you.


	3. Dangerous Territory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, apologies for constant updates but what else are weekends for if not getting shit done?!

As the wind picked up, hair danced around your face, tickling your skin and getting dangerously close to your lit cigarette when you dragged on it. You still hadn't turned to face the owner of the hand that gripped you and as you debated with yourself internally, the grasp strengthened to the point of slight pain. Showing no sign of discomfort, you slowly moved to look at your captor, glaring up into his half-lidded eyes. He looked bored, distinctly unimpressed with the furious woman he held tightly. Sighing, you threw your smoke to the floor, stamping it out violently as you made a decision.

"Levi, just tell me one thing." Silence invited you to continue, and you waited a moment for a group of drunken revellers to pass by, shouts and screams of joy coming from their grinning faces. "Is this it now?" He glanced down with mild interest but still remained quiet, waiting for whatever you had to say next. "Are you going to be up in my fucking face forever, ruining my life?" The faint flicker of amusement danced across his lips, the only sign that betrayed his otherwise emotionless expression. Without effort he pulled your arm, making you stumble closer until you were inches apart, his voice steady and cold. 

"What fucking life?"

Unable to speak, you instead opened and closed your mouth, squeaks of indignation sounding out as you tried to think of exactly how to answer him in the most offensive way possible. This prick was winding you up so tightly that a wave of hatred ran through you strongly, intense enough to allow you to reach up and rip his hand from your arm. Throwing his limb away harshly, you saw a look cross his pale features, but couldn't decide what it was. Ignoring it for now, you raised a finger and pointed up at him, still not fully able to figure out what to say until you spoke.

"You don't fucking know me, Levi. You don't know my life, so please refrain from making stupid fucking comments until you have anything concrete to go by." A raised eyebrow met your short outburst and as he opened his mouth to respond he leant down, hissing his words that cut into you like a knife. 

"I know you well enough, (F/N). I know you have, what, one fucking friend? A mess of a woman who can't decide whether to hug you or fuck you." Before you could argue back, he raised a hand and continued. "You have a sorry excuse for a brother who only thinks with his dick and as for you?" He straightened to deliver his last thoughts on the matter. "I wouldn't call it a life. Serving coffee in the day, getting fucked on weed at night as you sit in your room, probably alone, just longing for one of your stupid shitty burner phones to make a sound so you can actually be of some fucking use."

It didn't surprise you to hear that he knew quite a bit about your existence, for all you were aware he had trailed you for four years. But his last words sent you into a rage, mind clouded with red fog, stomach gripped tightly by adrenaline. Stepping forward, you tried to sound defiant, but it came out all too wrong. "Levi, you have no fucking idea what I do in my room, but I'm not alone." As soon as you said it, regret overtook the fury and that smug little smirk tugged at his top lip, letting you know the mistake you had just made. 

"Oh really, (F/N)? You see, I haven't noticed anyone but the same people go in and out of your place, so unless you really do like fucking women, it must be the other option." Shaking his head in mock despair, he tutted. "Your own brother, (F/N)."

You couldn't help it. The man had crossed a line and you whited out, throwing punches and kicks in an attempt to hurt him as much as you possibly could. The fact that he couldn't have eyes on you 24/7 didn't cross your mind and neither did the obvious truth that he had said it purely to provoke you. The only thing you were aware of now was a feral need to cause pain. Whatever happened, you weren't lucid anymore and everything went by in a blur. Unsurprisingly, the first thing you were fully comprehending of was being thrown heavily up against a wall and pinned in place, steel eyes holding you down along with strong arms.

The mist of insane hatred began to clear and you could hear some people shouting over, challenging Levi to pick on a man and not some weak, defenceless woman. That in itself pissed you off, but what disgusted you more so was the fluterring feeling you had in your stomach as his warm body pressed against yours, breath lightly sweeping over your face. A figure approached and you heard a voice. "Levi, I thought I said no fucking about? And (F/N)," he warned, a hand pulling the shoulder of the younger man back. "Don't push your luck. Whether you like it or not, this is happening. Now both of you, fucking grow up and act your age."

Seeing that the events were coming to an end, the small crowd dissipated and you both stood staring at one another, gazes locked in battle still. With a sigh, Kenny placed a calloused hand on both of you, squeezing tightly on two upper arms. "You two are obviously going to be the death of me. Whatever this is all about, get over it. Go sparring at the gym, get wasted together, fuck each other, I don't care. Just don't let it interfere with work." With that he marched off, leaving behind two furious adults that were behaving like children.

Not wanting to seem weak, you made the first move, crossing your arms and standing on one hip. "I could go for a trip to the gym, how about you? Or are you scared I'd fucking beat you?" Grey eyes looked you up and down and a small huff came from Levi's lips, something you presumed passed as a laugh for him.

"You fucking wish, (F/N). Now come on," he growled, placing a grip on your shoulder and steering you in the right direction. "We've got better things to do right now."

As you walked down familiar streets, the freezing night air picked at your skin with icy claws and you pulled your coat collar up to try to protect your face. The previous clash between you had caused the tension to come down a few notches at least, both having let out some frustration and you now continued in silence. Your surroundings became foreign to you, the deserted residential roads dark and foreboding. Unconsciously, you moved closer to the man for comfort, eyes darting around the dilapidated buildings in the search for assailants. Every home seemed to have bits falling off or yellowed newspaper plastered over the windows. Broken glass and crumbling bricks seemed to be the way to live around here and even the pavement was cracked all over, grass and weeds growing through each small ravine.

Levi glanced sideways and saw how the usually feisty woman now tried to get as near to him as possible without touching, noticing the fear in your eyes. It made you look about ten years younger, like a scared school girl and he wondered if his shitty uncle had made a bad decision in allowing him to bring you further down into this world. It had been Levi's idea, suggesting that you could be of more use than you already were, but he wasn't sure why he did it. Something told him that you were likely to be an asset. Perhaps it was the fact that his current companion had little regard for life, those of most others as well as her own. It could be a dangerous thing to mix with the criminal circles he would inevitably be dragging you into, yet it could also be an advantage.

Trying to get the fire back into you again before you reached the relevant house, Levi mumbled across, eyes straight ahead. "So, we've established you're open to the idea of sparring, (F/N). What about the other two options?" There it was. He smiled internally as he felt you stiffen, aware of your head snapping round to glare up at him, glad that his plan had worked. He didn't want to be walking into a situation with a small, timid little girl, he needed the fight that seemed to be always ready, bubbling under the surface. As he pushed a squeaky gate open, he heard your retort from behind him. 

"First of all, no, I wouldn't waste a good buzz on you. And secondly, in your fucking dreams, Levi." He glanced over his shoulder to be met by a small, sarcastic smile, the one you had put on for him many times in the past at the coffee shop. It never failed to amuse him, but this time it did something else.

Pushing everything deep down inside, he reached out to shove the front door open but stopped and turned to woman with the red, wind beaten cheeks that stood slightly behind him. "Stay close." You had every intention of complying with that order and followed him quickly as you strode in through the door, it's flaky blue paint crumbling under Levi's touch. He wiped his hand on his jeans absent mindedly and marched down the hallway with you trotting behind to keep up with his pace.

The paper on the walls was peeling and hanging off in discoloured, dank strips and the dim bulbs in the light fittings offered little illumination. It absolutely stank of strong weed mixed with a sweet, burning smell that you weren't familiar with. Doors remained shut and no one seemed to care that two people were now inside, until one opened on your right, a bald man emerging. He held a wedge of money in his left hand, a joint in his right and you had to fight back the urge to grab it from him to steady your nerves. Opening his mouth with a grin, he started to say something but was cut off before a word could be formed. "You don't get to fucking speak to her, Connie." The man stuck his smoke in his mouth and shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. You kept your calm exterior in place and strode past him with what you hoped was an air of authority as you approached the last door in the corridor.

Levi walked in without knocking, grabbing your arm and dragging you through, causing you to come to a sliding halt in the surprisingly nice room. The door slammed shut and you looked across at the man who occupied a large, comfortable chair, glass of what appeared to brandy in his hand. He looked kind, his wrinkles increasing as he smiled up at you and you thought how he would look more at home sat in front of a fire with a blanket over his knees, reading stories to his grandchildren, not here as what you presumed was the head of a blatant drug den. Books lined the walls on dark shelves, plush curtains hung closed over the window and a small desk was on one side with a myriad of things piled on top.

You noticed scales and what looked like a money counting machine, but before you could investigate more, you glanced over as the old man's smile faltered when he saw how Levi stalked towards him. It completely disappeared as his throat was gripped in a pale hand, head pushed back into the soft seat. He spoke in a croaky voice, golden eyes wide and concerned. "Levi, I paid..." His sentence remained unfinished as he was met with words that were spat at him. 

"I'm not here about fucking money, Pixis. I'll come back another day about that." The bright gaze of the older man narrowed and your strange bodyguard continued, face cold and emotionless. "What I want to know is simple. Have you had anyone fucking follow her?" He didn't bother gesturing in your direction as it appeared obvious who the subject of conversation was. Standing still, you tried your best not to fidget and kept your cool mask in place.

The impossibly coloured eyes of the main man around here flicked across to you momentarily, then returned to Levi with a pleading look. "No, I don't even know who she is, you've got to trust me..." He was rewarded with a snort and a slightly less rough hold around his neck before he received a sarcastic reply. 

"Trust, Pixis? Don't be fucking stupid." He seemed to accept the declaration of the fearful man though and released his grip, straightening and for the second time in five minutes, he wiped his hand on his denims with disgust. Without breaking his evil stare, he pointed over to where you stood and delivered a warning. "You hear anything about who might be, let me fucking know." He was met by confusion, and a meek question. 

"But who is she?" True, how could he hear anything if he didn't know what he was listening out for? The answer he got brought back your fury in seconds.

"She's mine. That's all you need to know. I'll be back soon about the fucking money." As he turned, you saw the fear in the old man's eyes and wondered exactly what Levi was capable of, what he had done. Or maybe it was best you didn't know and you felt your arm being taken once more, pulling you out of the room and back to the front door. Struggling, you reached the dark street, the sickly smell of the place still invading your senses as you were finally released. Hurrying after the dark and broody man, you started to snap at him. 

"Two things, Levi. Stop dragging and pushing me around everywhere, I'm capable of leaving a room on my own. And also, what the fuck?" He didn't look back, just continued to put distance between himself and the house you had just left, so you elaborated. "I'm not a possession, I'm not yours, so don't fucking go around saying that shit."

He stopped suddenly and you ran into him, face full of his black coat that smelt sweet, the thick scent from before permeating the fabric. As he turned, you scowled up at him, enraged at how much time you were being forced to spend in the company of another human being, a self righteous one at that. "Do you not think I have better fucking things to do with my time than carry you around with me (F/N)?" Placing your hands on your hips, you held your gaze and shrugged at his query. 

"I think you're enjoying yourself, Levi. Otherwise I wouldn't be stood here with you right now, you'd have ditched me back at the club instead of taking me on some screwed up field trip."

A hand pulled you close by the collar of your coat, and fiery eyes bored holes into your equally burning orbs, neither of you backing down. "Tch." With one dismissive noise, you were standing alone again and you weighed up the situation. Darkness enveloped you, pulled at your nerves and you felt terribly exposed. Something made a banging sound to your left and you took to your heels, running after the surprisingly swift moving man. Despite how much you hated to admit it, he provided a safety of sorts and as you caught up, a small sideways smirk greeted you. "Don't say a fucking word, Levi," you grumbled, trailing behind him with embarrassment.

Back in the soothing crowds of the main city, you relaxed slightly and felt less like you were a weak, scared girl and more the usual apathetic woman that was your standard demeanour. A cigarette burnt between your lips and you started to wonder where you were going. Was this over now, or was it just the start of your night? A familiar route was being taken and you realised you were on the way home. There was a nagging feeling of disappointment inside that you tried to suppress, concentrating instead on the fact that you could finally be alone again.

Outside your building, Levi handed you something and you looked down with disgust at the bright pink phone in your hand. "What the hell?" His smug face sent you insane, as did his answer. 

"I thought it would suit you, (F/N). Matches your cheeks." Frowning, you held it up in your palm, eyes questioning him and pressing for more information. "It's a secure line, we can speak freely. If you think you're being followed, call me. If you're going out at night, fucking tell me first." Full of loathing, you shouted up into his stony face, detesting the orders you had just been given. 

"Fuck off, Levi. I'm not telling you every move I make!"

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Listen you little shit, you'll do as you're told," he muttered, voice calm and slightly tired. "No one would be stupid enough to mess with you in daylight, or here for that matter. Cameras all over the place in that building. But if it's dark, the chances increase and unless you've fucking forgotten, there are people after you. So just behave and fucking text me if you're going out." It made sense, but it didn't make the situation any better. He hadn't finished though and you listened to his next statement. "If I'm not around then I'll get someone else to look after you." Seeing your expression, he raised an eyebrow and tilted his head sideways. "Oh (F/N), did you honestly think I had all the time in the world to spend on you? How cute." His voice made it obvious that he certainly didn't find any of this cute in the slightest, sarcasm dripping from his lips.

It was all you could take and you shoved the hideous phone in your pocket with a huff. Before you could go inside and escape this hellish conversation, Levi placed a finger under your chin and lifted your face up to link gazes. "Have a wonderful night, (F/N)," he purred, yet again sounding like he meant exactly the opposite and you spun on your heel and stormed off to get home.

As you opened your front door, you were met by a body flying towards you, black hair flowing as arms wrapped around your body in a tight embrace. Kicking the door shut, you hugged back and asked your friend a question. "What's wrong, Mikasa?" She had a spare key but rarely used it, making your stomach clench with worry. Her response was spoken into your hair with hurried words. "I couldn't get hold of you on the phone so I came to find you. I thought something bad had happened, (F/N)." Feeling a bit guilty at not having checked for calls or messages, you apologised, saying you had gone out for a walk to clear your head. The truth was too much to come out with and you smiled as she held you at arms length, trying to seem sincere. Then you noticed she'd been crying and hoped it wasn't because of you.

She led you over to the couch and fished two joints from her bag and you took yours gratefully. "No Eren?" you asked, letting your lungs fill with the blissful smoke. Shaking her head, she breathed in deeply also and let out a slightly high pitched reply. 

"He was here, but then he got a booty call." Rolling your eyes, you leant back and let the drug take hold, calming your frayed nerves. 

"I swear, Mikasa, they're insatiable," you grumbled and she smiled weakly and shrugged. 

"Young love?" Laughing off her idealistic view, you spelt out exactly how you saw it. 

"Love has nothing to do with it, I'm sure. Purely in it for the sex."

Remembering the puffy eyes on your friend, you became serious, taking her hand in yours and asking if she was ok. Sorrow crossed her face, mixed with anger and she began to explain. "That girl I've been seeing? She's gone all fucking weird on me. Never see her in the evening hardly, says she's working or some shit but I don't believe it. Must be cheating." Squeezing your grip on her tightly, you inwardly sighed at how possessive she could get and how her intensity with relationships manifested in jealousy and distrust. Knowing she probably wouldn't listen, you tried to reassure her all the same. 

"I'm sure there's a good explanation, Mikasa. Just ask her outright? It's going to eat away at you if you just sit and stew about it."

Your friend nodded and knew you were right as usual. "I know (F/N), but what do I say? Are you fucking someone else?" Speaking softly, you tried to steer her in the right direction. 

"Maybe just say you're missing spending evenings together and take it from there?" It seemed a better idea and she thanked you for being the level headed one before standing to leave. 

"It's getting late, I'd better go." Your offer at staying over was declined as she was going to try and get hold of her girlfriend, talk it out as soon as possible. Leaving you with a quick kiss, she closed the door and you let out a deep breath, beginning to process the night's events.

As your brain worked overtime, you grabbed a beer and thought about what had gone on. What you presumed was the main place for making and dealing drugs seemed to not be harbouring your enemy and you could only imagine the many, many other dives that might be the source. Or maybe it was someone out of left field, an unknown and that prospect was even scarier. Whatever the criminal underworld really thought of Kenny and Levi, they did appear to be the ones to fear if tonight was anything to go by. So for that reason, if some outside player was involved, they surely wouldn't have the same respect or be intimidated on sight alone so easily.

Rummaging through your drawer, you saw two phones that had alerts and brought them through with your laptop to carry out the reason why you were now in this this heap of shit. No point in stopping working, you mused and quickly obeyed the electronic orders. Before opening a new window to log on to the game, you took a moment to consider the other thing on your mind. Levi. You'd had more physical contact with him tonight than you had with anyone other than Mikasa in a good few months and it bothered you how it made you feel.

About eighty percent of your body and mind hated him with a passion, but the other twenty just wanted to get hold of him and have his pale hands do whatever the fuck they wanted to you. Sex wasn't something to shy away from, it was an enjoyable pass time, but you had never had angry sex. Rough, yes. Kinky? Sure. But never angry, no one had ever inflicted that effect on you before and that started to tip you over to a 70/30 ratio - you couldn't stop yourself thinking about it.

With a visible shake, you tried to cleanse your brain and got yourself into the online world, to the other man in your life. As soon as you saw the avatar sitting awaiting a life purpose, a message popped up instantly and the image of Levi began to disappear.

"Alright Lights?"

"Not bad User. Had my friend over. You?"

"You have a friend? What's wrong with you? Not going fucking soft in your old age?"

"Piss off, I'm not ancient. Just because you're a loner."

"I'm not a loner, Lights. I just seem to be constantly surrounded by stupid idiot shits so prefer to keep to myself. Thought you were the same?"

"I am, User. There are very few people that I tolerate but the world seems to want to force humans on me at the moment. I didn't sign up for this shit."

"Just don't go out. Ever. Get your food and drugs delivered, end of fucking problem. Then you can spend all your time on here for my amusement." You wondered how long he'd been waiting for you, as you knew he really enjoyed your discussions, as did you. It was normally you looking expectantly at the corner chat box, longing for it to spring into life and you hoped that whatever you had gotten yourself into wouldn't jeopardise the time you had to be on here.

The two of you chatted a while longer and as you both got increasingly fucked, typos were more frequent and discussions more bizarre and suggestive. User had informed you a while ago he only stuck to beer or spirits, steering clear of any kind of drug and he knew of your favourite combination of the golden carbonated liquid and sweet weed. After it became apparent that neither of you were capable of typing anymore, you said your incoherent farewells and shut down the computer, feeling much happier about the day.

~~~~~~

Thursday morning signalled an early start, which pissed you right off. Erwin was meeting suppliers so it left you in charge and the duty of opening up the shop came with that. At half past fucking seven in the morning. It meant you had to get up an hour before to get ready, wake up properly and go down there and as you struggled with the lock of the door, you cursed your stupid, massive boss.

Fog lay across the city, making everything damp and it was impossible to see much at all. Normally it wouldn't bother you as it provided a kind of personal buffer zone, adding to the mental blanket you draped around you. But today it set your nerves on edge, knowing that anyone could be creeping around in the misty streets, waiting to pounce. This only added to your inability to open the shop door, the sense of impending doom settling into you along with the wet atmosphere like you were in a scene out of Resident Evil. The air seeped through to your bones, chilling you to the core and you heard the sound of foot fall all too late.

A hand snaked around your waist from behind and you actually screamed, a proper girly sound that you had never heard come from your lips before. It was cut off by another hand clamping over your mouth and you started to thrash around wildly, trying to kick whoever was holding you in the shins, nails clawing at the hand across your face.

You refused to let defeat sink in and continued to struggle, never giving into the seemingly inevitable fate that awaited you. Thoughts of regret ran through your mind, mainly that you had never been able to meet User and that singular thing drove you to fight back even more, letting the anger drive you as using your arm, you made a last ditch attempt to get free, unsure if it would even work. It was now or never and you held your breath as the move was carried out.


	4. Matters Of The Heart

"Ow, fuck off!" The pained voice reached your ears just as the hands withdrew and you turned, instinctively slapping the face of your would be attacker, making a loud, clear noise as your skin connected with theirs. Your previous move had consisted of the old grab and twist manoeuvre, rendering any male incapacitated for a while. It was a dirty way to fight, but you had no option, go for the crown jewels. Unfortunately, you hadn't got a good enough hold and it didn't have the full effect. The figure before you wasn't doubled over in pain, just slightly hunched and to alleviate the disappointment you raised your arm again, ready to deliver another blow but you were stopped by a grip around your wrist, open palm centimetres from his face.

"No, (F/N). You only get one of those in your lifetime." The absolute hostility that coursed through your body was unbelievable and you ripped your hand back, so angry that you couldn't even speak. Instead you turned and unlocked the door, first try of course and walked in. The now totally upright but slightly sore man followed you in, met with an incredulous stare from furious (e/c) eyes. Holding a hand up in a questioning gesture you frowned, wondering what the hell he was doing in here, ten minutes before opening time. He just shrugged before giving you a deadpan answer. "I'm thirsty."

Bolting the door, you swept out back, hanging your things up and tying your small apron on with a bit too much force, fabric ties digging into your waist. As you stormed back into the main room, flicking switches to bring the place to life you shouted over to the prick of a man that still stood near the door. "What the fuck did you do that to me for, Levi?" Banging cups and loading the register with change, you stared across as he slowly took his coat off, gently hanging it off the back of a leather chair. 

"Just keeping you on your toes, (F/N)." He knew you had a streak inside that could produce a shocking amount of strength, wanted to test it out and despite the underhanded tactics, you had pleasantly surprised him. The buzz of your slap still crept over his cheek, a feeling he hadn't had for years as usually he managed to prevent it from happening.

Your voice shot across the empty cafe once more, the heavy handed way you dealt with the machinery letting him know how pissed the feisty woman really was. "On my toes? Fuck me, I thought you were going to kill me, you dick!" Levi sat down, crossing his legs and slinging an arm over the back of the seat, looking totally at home and like he didn't plan on moving anytime soon. As you opened the front door and turned the sign to show you were now open for caffeine addicts to gorge themselves, your first order was requested. 

"I think I'll take my tea to have in today, (F/N)." It was made with such nonchalance and as you looked over at the man who just tried to attack you, he sighed and gazed down at his nails, seeking out any dirt or fluff that needed to be removed. It was happening. He did in fact intend to make your life a living hell, but for some reason you still went to get his drink like a good little barista.

Placing it down on his table with care, you saw a few more customers materialise out of the fog like vampires, dragging themselves in for some warming liquid to perk them up and kick start the day. Levi thanked you with way too much enthusiasm, enjoying making you uncomfortable but there was that sweet, sticky and totally fake smile again on your face and he watched closely as you bounced away to serve the next in line. As he picked up his white mug, the napkin underneath that was intended to catch any stray drips shone out, bright tissue that bore thick black lines of writing. "Fuck you." 

He slowly lifted his gaze, locking eyes with the still smiling woman behind the counter. Unless he removed the offending item, or folded it, he would see those words every time he lifted the cup. But the way he was being watched made him reticent to do it, wasn't about to give you the satisfaction of knowing it got to him. So instead, he lifted the tea in a mimic of a toast, eyes flashing with animosity.

Levi lingered a while and once Jean arrived, he got up to leave, stalking over slowly to make his payment. He passed a ten across into your open hand but didn't wait for his change, just glared at you for a second before sweeping out into the misty city. Looking down, you saw not only money but a folded napkin and as you opened it up, the two words caused a strange variety of emotions to run through your body. "Any time." Scrunching it up, you threw the tissue down into the bin with a huff and shoved the bank note into the tip jar as the tea hadn't been rung through the register.

Once the morning rush had subsided and the tables cleared, the relative calm before the storm of lunchtime set in and you sensed Jean shuffling awkwardly towards you. "(F/N)? Can I ask you something?" With a roll of your eyes you turned to face him, a blush on his cheeks that could only mean one thing. He was going to talk to you about Eren. Giving in to the no doubt painful conversation, you raised your eyebrows to invite him to speak. "What's Eren's deal?" A simple yet dangerously intricate question, one which you weren't about to answer. It wasn't your place to tell your brother's past to his new boyfriend, so you expertly switched it back round to Jean. 

"You need to sit down with him and ask that yourself, you know? I'm not going to dish the fucking dirt so man up and have an adult discussion." It came out a bit harsh, as usual, your frustration from the earlier liaison still eating away at you. Jean looked crushed and with a sigh you attempted to behave like a normal human being.

“Look, I’m sorry. It’s just that I can’t tell you what has or hasn't happened in his past. That’s for him alone to tell you. It wouldn’t be fair if I gave you my take on everything.” He nodded and nervously twiddled his fingers, wanting to say more to the older and hopefully wiser woman, but he was torn. Part of him knew you were right and part of him still had a nagging reservation that had to be voiced. Looking down at your stern but slightly softer than usual face, he took the opportunity to probe when you obviously had your guard down a bit. 

“I just don’t want to get hurt, (F/N).” You had no response to that and the wretched look on his face said that despite his young age, he had seen his fair share of sorrow and disappointment. So you made a compromise. 

“Why don’t you come over tomorrow night, have a proper chat. I’ll keep out of your way, let you have some space and if I hear it escalating into an argument, I’ll step in and give him a fucking smack, how about that?” The tall man next to you let out a slight laugh and took your proposal gladly, happy that he had been accepted by you at last. Well, almost. Your next words returned you to the usual testy bitch he was getting used to. “But if it goes well, don’t think you can fuck all night again. I’m losing sleep.”

~~~~~~~

Friday night was quiet, no arguments had been heard but it was still only half 9 and there was plenty of time for that. In fact, you’d heard nothing, their voices were kept low out of respect. You supposed that if you give a bit, you get a bit back and all that shit. Currently you were in the giving kind of mood and your fingers ran quickly across the keyboard as you described in full filthy glory exactly what you were going to do to User. After a short conversation earlier, it was clear he had been through a bad day and, as was happening more and more frequently nowadays, you once again helped him out, as he called it. You received no responses from him and you didn’t expect any, turning all of your attention to your task, knowing that if you needed it, the favour would be gladly reciprocated.

The idea of it all didn’t disgust you in the slightest, or freak you out. It was as normal to you as putting on a pair of shoes and you began to increase the pace, hopefully building him up into a frenzy that would ultimately relax him. Beginning to get excited, you tried to keep it all down; you could sort yourself out later. Right now, this was all about him. At the worst possible moment, the hideous pink phone began to ring from its place on the bed next to you, the tone of a nursery rhyme sounding out. Of course he would have picked some stupid fucking song just to humiliate you even more.

Quickly you picked it up, wedging it between your ear and shoulder so you didn’t have to stop and you typed quickly but lightly so the man disturbing you wouldn’t hear the clicks of keys being pressed. Concentrating on saying the right thing to the right person, you growled down the phone. “Not a good time, Levi.” When he spoke, he sounded like he had been running or even fighting, making you fearful of what might be in store for you. 

“I don’t give a fuck (F/N). I just got a call. We have another visit to make.” He stopped, but you made no comment, all attention on your screen. The voice came back again, filtering through with the same urgency. “I’ll meet you outside your building. Say….” It went quiet and you imagined he was turning to look at a clock wherever he was and you heard a sound like a choked cough somewhere in the background before he spoke once more. “Half an hour.” It was fine by you, that gave you plenty time and you muttered your answer quickly. 

“Whatever, Levi.” He didn’t even bother to chide you for your insolence, just hung up. Trying not to think about what might happen tonight, you turned back to give User your full and undivided attention.

Not long after, you had shared your farewells. This was how it always went and you thought nothing of it as you pulled on a jumper and grabbed your things. Creaking the door open, you saw Eren and Jean hugging tightly, tears in the eyes of the taller man but as he spotted you, he winked. Disaster had been averted, so you quietly ran past in the hope that they would just carry on. They did and you shoved on black boots and a coat, making your way to the cold evening outside. Lighting a cigarette, you shook your legs out one after the other in a side to side motion, trying to keep warm but also trying to get rid of the feeling of being both annoyed and horny at the same time. Stupid fucking Levi, you thought. Ruining my night and my life. God knows what kind of debauchery he would be dragging you into today and as he approached, you narrowed your eyes to let him know just how dissatisfied you really were.

Bizarrely, he looked rather jolly, a small smirk on his face and no sign of the discomfort that sounded in his voice earlier. When he spoke, it was with malicious glee. “So, ready to go have that sparring session?” Raising your eyebrows, you stared up at him in disbelief. Was he really suggesting you go and fight it out in the gym now, at gone ten on a Friday night? Before you could ask anything, the same old hand grabbed your same old arm and pulled you along in the direction of the city centre and into yet another questionable situation.

Shaking him off, sure you would get a bruise there soon, you jogged to keep up the pace. As you caught up you glared at him, the man's stony expression never faltering from directly ahead. "Levi, if you want to fight we can do it right fucking here, you know?" The words came out breathless as your lungs worked overtime, legs pounding and beginning to ache a little already. You received no reply, just a snort of amusement and you gave up and let him lead you to the unknown destination.

It wasn't far, but it was secluded in a dusty back street, large industrial bins lining the walls and puddles of water mixed with rubbish scattered across the cobbled ground. Deftly avoiding the tiny swamps, you found yourself standing by a large, heavy looking door, neon light above announcing that you were indeed at a gym, but not one of those fancy expensive ones that most of the city's inhabitants frequented just to feel part of the crowd. This was an old fashioned brawlers club, invitation only, you imagined and you looked up at the old, weathered camera as Levi told you to press the button. You'd seen two instances of the older man trying to rid himself of filth before and didn't even question his command. Making yourselves known, it wasn't long before the door swung inward and a large, muscular man stood before you.

His eyes glanced at you with confusion, but as he saw the companion that had been forced upon you last week, recognition sank in and you were invited to enter. Not giving Levi a chance to do his usual, you walked in first, strutting determinedly behind the hulking bodybuilder and letting him follow you for a change. Despite the fact you were wearing a coat, it allowed him to cast his gaze down and take in your angry movements, like the day you had stormed off in the club. It was an image that he enjoyed and faint disappointment crept over him as you came to a halt at the next locked door. Your host gained entry by way of a keypad and as the main area of the gym was revealed, you had to hold back the urge to gag.

It stank of sweat, blood and testosterone and as you took up your position again behind the huge man, the variety of sounds and sights hit your senses also. Some people were angrily taking out their frustration on cracked leather punch bags, others lifted impossible looking weights and in the centre was an old boxing ring, thick red elastic surrounding a stained white canvas floor. A crowd was formed around the focal point as two dangerous looking men fought without gloves, money exchanging hands with a small figure in a brown hat, odds being shouted along with support for whichever boxer each spectator favoured. Brutal punches and kicks were thrown and you found yourself gaping over at them, watching closely as blood fell to the ground from both of their mangled faces.

Gazes that weren't trained on the fight turned to watch you, being the only woman in here and a few lewd words were shouted your way. When Levi took your arm this time, you didn't mind as it wasn't a strong grip, more of a show to the gathered men that this lady was firmly with him. The simple gesture caused eyes to be cast down or back at something else that was suddenly extremely interesting, yet again making you wonder exactly what kind of man was holding you.

Your guide brought you to what you presumed was the office, a small cluttered room towards the back, away from the throngs of sweaty bodies. It had a desk somewhere, but it was buried underneath so much paperwork you could only guess that it existed. Posters lined the walls, all old and faded, showing you images of fighters from days gone by, dates and times of historic clashes. The sound of a door closing and relative silence alerted you to the fact that you were now alone with Levi and he let go of your arm, looking around with disgust. "Tch. They need to fucking burn this place to the ground." Slightly amused, you smirked and began to walk around the tiny space, taking it all in.

The sightseeing trip was brought to an end when the wooden door opened and a man even more massive than the last entered, smiling over at the two of you. "Brought me a friend today I see, Levi?" His form eclipsed you as he towered over your smaller frame, bright blonde hair shining down as he grinned and raised a palm to your face. Before he could touch your skin, a pale hand shot out and wrapped around the huge man's wrist. 

"Not yours to play with, Braun. Step the fuck back." Becoming increasingly weary with the possessive way he spoke, you sighed but kept quiet. This was not the place for a stand off. With a laugh, what you assumed was the gym owner moved away, allowing you some personal space. 

"Ok Levi, don't get yourself all riled up. So much anger for such short ass."

His wrist was liberated but grey eyes burned into him as he reached out to take your hand. "I'm Reiner Braun, little lady. And I presume you're the reason I called your grumpy piece of shit boss over here." You started to protest and explain that in no uncertain terms was that idiot your boss, but a low voice cut across the small room, silencing you. 

"I'm not in the fucking mood for this Reiner, just get to the fucking point. Why did you call?" Attention turned to the dark haired man and you listened as an explanation was made.

"I heard from a mutual associate that you were looking for someone who might be tailing this fine woman. An old, bald associate." So the news had spread of your visit to the drug house last week, you thought but remained quiet as Reiner continued, large hands gesticulating with his words. "And I might have some information for you, Levi." It was deadly silent apart from the faint noises of the bloody battle that continued outside and the way these two stared at each other made you think another one might break out in here soon too. It was a game of patience, each man not willing to back down and you saw how this one didn't seem to hold the same fear as everyone else that Levi came into contact with. But, as you had expected, the smaller man won.

"Alright, Levi, I give up. Never was any good at suffering your death stare." Remaining impassive and emotionless, your new colleague raised an eyebrow to invite further elaboration and he wasn't left waiting. "I heard that you might want to try that freak down in the red light district. Seems it was one of her men that you took down recently. Maybe she wants your new lady to work for her?" Without a word, your arm was gripped again and you were swept out of the room, hearing Reiner shout a sarcastic goodbye behind you. By the time you reached the fresh air of outside, skin had begun to hurt but you couldn't escape his grasp this time. Leaving the street to join the nicer main road, you stopped dead, pulling back with force so he had no option but to let go or stumble.

Levi hadn't been expecting it and the decision was made for him, taking an unplanned step backwards into you. Shock of the sudden collision wore away instantly and he met your (e/c) eyes with a bored look. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, (F/N)?" Finally wriggling free, you raised your hands in total despair. 

"Me? What am I fucking doing? Getting dragged around by you again, by the looks of it." You weren't finished and shouted with total venom before he could even draw breath. "And what was that all about, bickering over me like a toy all the fucking children want? I get it, I'm in a shitty situation and apparently stuck with you, but do you have to be such a fucking cunt?" That seemed to be a step too far, but you knew what was coming a split second before it happened and dodged, avoiding being pinned against the wall.

Slowly, Levi turned his head and glared at you sideways from behind his onyx hair, grey eyes flashing with nothing but the intent to cause harm, fists clenched at his side and a sneer curled on his lip. He actually looked like he might kill you and with nothing to lose, you decided to go for broke. This was either going to be your last words or an attempt to end this confrontation. "If you're going to hit me then just fucking hit me Levi. I'm too tired to put up a fight anymore." His reaction surprised you and he faced you fully, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head with lowered eyes as you heard him mutter something that sounded like 'brat'. As he looked back up, the fury that had been there had disappeared and he reached out to get hold of you again but this time he took your hand instead of your arm.

Being pulled with the same force, you found yourself back in the main, well lit city streets and listened to him grumble. "Ruined a fucking nice enough evening. He could've told me that on the fucking phone, but he knows I can't stand that shitty place." It led you to wonder what was going to happen with the new found information and hoped it didn't mean a trip to the sleazy streets of the red light district tonight. Coming to a halt, you stood together, hand freed and you asked your question out loud. 

"We're not going there now are we?" He shook his head, shining black hair swaying as he stared out across the road. 

"No fucking way. I need to get some more recent background on that whore before I go anywhere near her."

That started a whole new set of fears within and something else sprang into your mind, begging to be let out. "Levi?" He glanced down, sighing, and waved a hand to allow you to continue. "Why are you taking me to these places?" It was a fair question, one that he had an answer for. Most of an answer for. Delivering the official line, he looked back up to glare at something in the distance. 

"Because you might be useful. Kenny agrees, there could be more to you than just moving fucking numbers around on a screen." Now you were interested and stepped closer to signal you wanted more. "You're stronger than you look and the fact that you seem to fucking hate everyone can only be a good thing. We wouldn't have to worry about you getting friendly with the wrong people." You snorted laughter at how true his supposition was. "And by taking you to these shit holes, it gives you an insight into the fuckers we have to deal with."

It sounded plausible, but you were still annoyed at being pushed into fraternising with humanity. Keeping that to yourself, you shrugged. "Ok, Levi. I'll accept that. So, can I go home now?" His response was short and final. 

"No." Keeping your lips tightly shut to stop yourself from arguing again, you waited impatiently for a reason. "I need a fucking drink. Come on."

You'd spent an hour sharing drinks in silence, but you didn't mind. It was nice to let the warm feeling wash over you and be sat as if you were alone. By the time you reached home, fatigue had begun to set in, a deep longing for your comfortable bed shining bright in your mind. Levi had grumbled a goodbye and walked off in the direction he had come from, leaving you slightly confused but happy that you had survived another of his little excursions. Opening your door, you peeked in and saw no sign of the couple you left here earlier. Boots and coat off, you grabbed a beer and heard the faint sound of snores and noticed two pairs of men's shoes by the entrance to your apartment. The night seemed to have gone well here, at least and you made your way quietly to the main bedroom.

None of your phones demanded attention, so you undressed quickly and shoved on your pyjamas, TV on low and climbed into bed. Beer in one hand and joint in the other, you felt relaxed and began to let the odd day drip away from your exhausted body.

~~~~~~

You were woken by the sound of clanging and crashing, sitting up sharply and wondering where and who you were for a moment before consciousness took hold. It was light outside, and you heard a hissing sound. That's when the smell hit and the realisation of hunger kicked in, scent of frying making you ravenous. Quickly you brushed your teeth and hair before shooting into the living area to see Eren watching over a pan of eggs, Jean's arms around his waist as he cuddled in from behind. As nauseating as the display of affection was, it did make something jump in your usually cold heart and against any better judgement, you smiled. The two men grinned over at the new arrival and your brother called over.

"Drink, (F/N)?" Waving a spatula across the kitchen, you saw a cup of coffee with steam pouring from the top, inviting you over with the dark, luxurious liquid. Gingerly sipping so as not to burn your tongue, you noted the three plates waiting to be filled and mats on the table that you rarely used for anything other than a place to keep mail and sort dry laundry. Apprehension kicked in and you scowled at the sickeningly happy couple. 

"Ok what's the deal? What did you fucking do?" Laughter met your accusation and Jean turned to grin over. 

"Nothing, (F/N). Just think of it as a thank you for putting up with us." He kissed your brother's neck, earning him a small giggle. God, if this was what love did to you then it could fuck off. You'd never understood this need to be attached to someone, not able to stop hugging or kissing, looking dewy eyed at each other.

It was one of many reasons why your relationships were short and fiery, but now you were beginning to have a slight sense about the whole thing. That online friend of yours had changed you and a deep pain in your heart made itself known at the very thought of losing him. It was fucking ridiculous, however you couldn't help it. You were developing strong feelings and it was something completely foreign. The fact you hadn't been online again last night filled you with guilt, but in all honesty there was nothing left inside you to give when you got home other than the ability to lie down and chill out. Mind wandering to the reason for your exhaustion, thoughts turned to the other man in your life. What you felt for Levi was mostly a combination of abhorrence and pure animal lust, no emotion lay there. You wondered what would have happened if it hadn't been for User. Probably you would have gotten hold of him by now, if only to ease the tension and satisfy your urges.

An order brought you from the daydream and you found yourself being sat down at the table, a plate full of a proper fry up placed in front of you. Eggs, sausages and bacon sat with hash browns, grilled tomatoes and toast and the three of you ate with gusto, light chatter sounding out along with the scrape of cutlery. You had to admit it, Eren was a damn good cook and thanking them, you leant back with a nicely satisfied stomach. They cleared the plates, leaving you to sit and relax. Maybe they weren't so bad, you thought and listened to them excitedly planning a romantic day out. Talk of time spent together, lunch, walks. How they'd have room for lunch after the breakfast you just ate you had no idea. At least you'd have the place to yourself.

Even though you had no intention of leaving your home today, you showered and dressed, pulling on sweats and a t-shirt. A few transfers were made and to be honest, it bored you. As much as the two trips into the depths of a world that had been previously unknown had pushed you to new limits, they brought some much needed excitement to your life. It was barely afternoon, but you needed a distraction. Reaching over, you found your tin empty and swore loudly in the otherwise quiet apartment. There were options, but only one that you wanted to choose and you called Mikasa. A catch up was long overdue.

~~~~~~

The two of you lay on your bed, halfway between wasted and totally finished and it was only five o'clock. Your head lay on her shoulder, arm across her body and the two of you cuddled up, ready to sleep. Tendrils of a dream invaded your brain but it wasn't allowed to continue as you were spoken to. "Annie's moving in with me." Sobering up slightly, you leant up on your elbow and stared with disbelief down at your grinning friend. Her impulsive nature had reared it's ugly head again and you hoped it wasn't going to end in the huge cluster fuck that it did last time. In an act of pure idiocy, she had asked her previous girlfriend to live with her, ending in three months of blazing rows, physical fights and ultimately, break up.

"Mikasa are you sure? I mean, it's only been two months? And what happened about her fucking off in the evening?" A serene, smiling face in the midst of a high looked over at you, eyes bloodshot and nearly closed and her croaked reply mumbled across to you. 

"I'm sure, (F/N). No reason why not. And she works at a club, that's why she's always busy at night." Frowning, you shook your head. There was no point reasoning with her once her mind was made up, she just ran headlong into relationships with an open heart that was always getting hurt. You had the distinct impression that if you hadn't put an end to whatever it was between the two of you in the past, she would have carried it on for as long as she could and gone as far as possible, purely out of obsession.

With a sigh, you moved some of her raven hair away from her face and smiled weakly. "You're going to do it no matter what I fucking say, aren't you?" A slow nod confirmed your fears and as you cuddled up again, you couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before you were helping her pick up the pieces.


	5. Depravity

She had done it. Stupidly followed her heart and moved her new girlfriend in despite your friendly advice to the contrary. That had been three days ago and now you stood outside the coffee shop, dragging deeply on your cigarette in the blustery Thursday afternoon weather. No rain fell yet, but it was due, freezing air making you shiver and you pulled your phone from your trouser pocket with cold induced shaking movements. Nothing. A text had been sent to Mikasa a few hours ago to ask how it was going, but she was probably at her own job in the stuffy office building you had visited once. The people there reminded you of most of your customers at the shop and you had taken an instant dislike to all of them.

Levi hadn't been in today, but had appeared every other day of the working week like clockwork. It concerned you, if only because it might spell trouble in your near future. Trying to forget about him, you instead moved on to your conversation last night with User. He had seemed extremely down, talking about how much he just wanted to move away, put whatever it was in his life behind him and start over. It made you intensely sad to read his words and you wished there was something that could be done to alleviate his pain. But, without knowing the situation, you couldn't do much, just be there for him at the end of a wifi connection. Ultimately it had ended in wishes for a good sleep and a promise to connect again tonight.

You were pulled from the depressing thought process by a voice from behind, making you jump and raise a hand instinctively. "We need to see Kenny." Dull, grey eyes stared down at you, then across to your fist. "You need to lay off the fucking weed, (F/N). It's making you paranoid." Lowering your arm, you turned and stared across the street at the bakery opposite, watching with no interest as they unloaded the delivery van, grumbling to the man by your side. 

"It's not weed making me paranoid, it's you Levi." You heard a small sigh and looked up to see darker than usual circles under his eyes, but you didn't ask any questions, in all honesty you actually didn't care, having your own shit to deal with.

He stood there for a moment before speaking once more in a low voice. "Meet us at the club tonight at 8. Be careful on your way over, I can't fucking escort you today." Watching him leave, you noticed a slump to his shoulders and called after the retreating figure.   
"No tea? No witty fucking remarks?" The response you received was the middle finger stuck up over his shoulder and you smirked, feeling the nice sense of satisfaction at getting one up on him. Back inside, you rubbed your arms to warm up as Jean hurried around clearing tables. The relatively cordial relationship between you had continued since the weekend, probably helped by the fact he had taken Eren to his place frequently, keeping their sex lives in private for the most part. A few sly touches and gropes had been witnessed but at least they remained fully clothed around you now.

Erwin looked across at your approaching form and raised his eyebrows. "Your friend not coming in today?" Shrugging, you went out the back to wash your hands, drying them off on your apron and speaking loudly to your boss. 

"No, he's having a fucking sulk about something. Must be his time of the month." Hearing a laugh, you watched the large man look down as his broad shoulders shook with amusement, an evil smirk crossing your lips again.

~~~~~~

By six o'clock you were showered and dressed all in black, hair still wet and a slight amount of make up applied. You weren't out for the night to have fun, but you still liked to look presentable. A few illegal movements were made on the laptop before you finally logged on, now totally disinterested in the avatar on screen. As it stood swaying slightly, you scrolled through your small contact list and saw that User's name was in red, signalling he was not online. Lighting up a long white cone of relaxation, you dragged in deeply and held your breath before exhaling slowly, eyes never leaving the sinister deep colour that adorned your friend's alias. It was if he knew and all of a sudden it turned green and you were notified of his presence. Typing quickly, you sent a greeting his way.

"Hey User, how are you feeling?" It didn't take long for a response to pop up on screen.

"A bit better, thanks Lights. Still fucked off but I guess you just have to accept your lot in life sometimes."

"Isn't that the sad truth." Swallowing, you felt a surge of adrenaline as you continued. "I wish I could do something to help. I don't like seeing you like this." Your words weren't groundbreaking, but they did let your rare sensitive side out which made you feel both nervous and confused.

"Thanks Lights, I know. Maybe we could meet up soon? Drown our sorrows?"

"I'd like that. Very much." No plans were made, they never were, just suggestions to finally come face to face that neither of you were currently brave enough to turn into something real. Light conversation continued and you sipped at a beer, chatting and flirting as usual. It made your heart lighter, only to be brought back into the feeling of lead in your stomach when you had to go and make a terrible excuse to leave him so early on a Thursday night.

"I've got to be up fucking early for work User. Sorry."

"No worries, I know you like your sleep. Sweet dreams."

"And you."

With a loud sigh, you shut down the laptop and brushed through your hair which was now completely dried and turned the lights off. The young lovers were out on a date and you left a note to advise them that you'd gone for a drink and not to wait up. Not that they would anyway, but after all the times you told Eren off for disappearing without telling you, it would be hypocritical to not offer the same courtesy. Boots and coat on, a few belongings in your pockets, you locked the door behind you and made your way out into the dark night.

Keeping a keen eye on your surroundings, you hurried down the busy streets to your destination, fear creeping in and gripping you tightly. It was a route you had taken so many times in the past, but now you had a reason to be wary of the familiar sights. Shops were closed but windows still lit up to show potential customers what they could spend their cash on in the morning. Passing a shoe shop, the shining and ridiculous stilettos looked out at you, making your feet hurt just thinking about trying to walk in them. Your momentary loss of concentration was ill judged and you were pulled into an alleyway before you could comprehend what was going on.

Fist raised, you spun and set eyes on a familiar face and fuzzy bald head, his grin wide as a small package was handed to you. "Hey gorgeous, can you give this to Kenny?" The man named Connie from the stinking house you visited recently stood close and you took the item warily, holding it up with a frown. 

"Why can't you fucking give it to Kenny?" Wide eyes shone out and he shook his head violently. 

"No way, I'm not that stupid." A nagging pulled at your mind, knowing that if the bouncers were out tonight they would surely search you before allowing you in and you asked the grinning idiot what was inside.

"Nothing illegal I don't think. Just a memory stick." So he didn't really know either and in order to get your story straight, you questioned him again. 

"Who gave you this?" The answer you received was obvious, but you needed to be clear on it before telling your boss. Pixis had sent his worker out and it made you slightly nervous that he had apparently tracked you so easily. Without a word, you exited the alley and continued on your way, parcel stuffed in your coat pocket.

As it happened, no security men were around to frisk you and grabbing a beer from the bar, you made your way to the back and the table you had been sitting at when you were first introduced to Levi. He sat there with his uncle and glanced up as you strode over, gesturing to an empty chair which you fully intended on sitting at anyway. Taking off your coat, you hung it on the seat and pulled the small item out, throwing it across to the older man. Two sets of eyes stared over at you as you sat, both questioning but also looking down at your low cut top. It hadn't been a totally conscious effort, but in the back of your mind you wondered if you'd picked it intentionally.

Swigging your drink, you prolonged the moment a while longer before offering an explanation. "It's from Pixis. He sent his bald little shit out to find me." Levi stiffened next to you but Kenny just put it in his own pocket without speaking and you stared over with boredom all over your face. "So why am I here again?" The sound of a choked laugh reached your ears and you watched as the stubbly faced man across the table shook his head, eyes full of danger. 

"Don't ask me, ask my lovely nephew." He pointed over and you turned your unreadable gaze to the next man. When he spoke, you noticed he didn't hold your stare the whole time, silver eyes flicking down regularly to your chest. You weren't sure why, but it made you feel like you were winning some weird game.

"We need to pay a visit to that fucking brothel on Marchant Street. The man that followed you home definitely came from there and from what I found out yesterday, it wasn't on the owner's orders." Not wanting to know how he came across that information, you remained still as if the idea of going to a place like that didn't bother you in the slightest. Tearing his eyes from your cleavage, Levi looked over at Kenny for approval. He was met by a shrug, and your boss nodded. 

"That's fine. She owes me one anyway so I doubt anything untoward will happen. Be vigilant though, there's some fucking creeps in there." Now it was your turn to let out a small laugh. The notion that this man was slinging the word 'creep' around was just too ironic. Neither of them questioned your hollow laughter and Levi stood to signal it was time to go. Smile quickly disappearing from your face, you looked up in surprise.

"What, we're going now?" You were pulled up by the arm and found yourself pressed up against the dark haired man, breasts squashed into his hard chest. His growling voice spoke down at you and his eyes flashed for a second at the position you were in. 

"Got a fucking problem with that, (F/N)?" Not even bothering to struggle, you tilted your head and smiled sweetly. 

"Of course not, Levi. Sounds like a lovely way to spend my evening." Gazes locked, you saw a faint twitch of a smirk cross his lips and you swore you felt something move further down. The smile on your face turned into a full on grin at his involuntary reaction, which was answered with a scowl. He was furious, both at himself and the woman whose warmth he could feel through his shirt.

The moment was broken by a stern voice from behind you. "Just fucking go, now. Try not to kill each other." Still grinning, you threw your coat on as your companion did the same with a stony expression and you walked away with a determined strut. The exchange had helped to calm your nerves slightly and you waited outside for the pale man, wondering what was keeping him. A hand rested on the back of your neck, grip tight and you were pushed in the direction you would need to take. Ducking quickly, you evaded his hold on you and pulled your cigarettes out, offering one to the incensed man. With harsh moves, he grabbed one and snatched the lighter from your hand, not wanting to look at the smug smile that remained on your full lips.

You walked in silence for a while, but you couldn't help yourself, it was too good an opportunity to leave to go to waste. Knowing you were treading on thin ice, you spoke anyway, gleefully enjoying the power trip. "Well now I know what to wear if I ever need to wrap you round my little finger." He stayed quiet, however you felt the fury emanating from his body as you carried on. "Makes sense that you have a crush on me, I suppose. Why else would you insist on dragging me around on these little missions? It's quite sweet, actually." It was enough to provoke him, but you still weren't sure why you wanted to cause him to lash out so much. Sure, it was fun, but ultimately it could end up very badly for you.

A hand gripped your hair and you were pulled backwards into his body. Something pressed against your exposed neck, cold sharp metal and your eyes widened at the realisation. The streets around here were dark and deserted and Levi spoke lowly into your ear as you stayed stock still. "Don't fucking push me (F/N). You have no idea what I'm capable of and trust me, you don't want to fucking find out." A few seconds passed and you held your breath, heart pounding in your chest as if it was trying to break through your rib cage. Fear mixed with excitement ran through your veins as the blade bit into your skin and in the blink of an eye he was gone, marching down the road leaving you standing with flushed cheeks.

Running to catch up, you mumbled over to him. "Sorry Levi. I'm just nervous." He tutted and glared over. 

"Fine, but if you've got some kind of death wish, keep it under control. I'm not in the fucking mood to clean up any mess." You started to argue back, high pitched voice full of indignation but you stopped as Levi halted outside a large, unassuming building. "Whatever (F/N), just don't do anything fucking stupid. Stay by my side at all times." Walking down beside the wall of the brothel, you came to a door. Similar to the gym, it had a security camera and a button and before having to be asked, you pressed it.

A large man opened up, checking who was asking for entry. Satisfied, he stepped aside to allow you in. Loud music played and everything was bathed in a deep red glow. A woman wearing nothing but underwear approached, a tired look on her face that mixed with confusion as she saw you. Levi leant over to speak in her ear and she nodded before walking off up a corridor. He followed and pulled you along by the hand as you passed door after door. Some were closed, others slightly open and you heard the noises of sex spilling out despite the pounding music. One room was exposed completely and you looked over to see a woman on her knees below a fat, grey man, his eyes closed in pleasure and mouth slack as her head bobbed up and down. Snapping your gaze forward, you stifled the need to gag at the sight of the old male and were finally led into a large office.

The woman left, mumbling something about how the boss would be back soon and shut the door, leaving the two of you alone. A leather seat sat behind the impressive oak desk, computer screen on top that was dormant and pictures hung on the walls. It could have been an office anywhere, if it wasn't for the sound of music that came through the heavy door. You unbuttoned your coat as the heat in here was unbearable. Staring across at Levi, you saw how he still scowled at you, eyes burning. "What?" You held your hands up to question him and he took a few paces forward. 

"You, (F/N). You are the most fucking annoying person I have ever had the displeasure of meeting." Squaring up, you planted your feet hip width apart, ready to take what was coming your way as you spat your retort back to him.

"Oh, and you're such a ray of fucking sunshine, right?" The distance between you was closed and he stared down with a malicious glare, hissing his words so you could feel his breath on your face. 

"At least I'm not on some sort of fucking suicide mission." Crossing your arms, you snarled back. 

"How was I supposed to know you had a fucking knife? Should have been obvious I guess. Scum like you always do." The next thing you knew, hands were pressed against the side of your head holding you still as surprisingly soft lips crashed into yours. Using all your force, you pushed him away and he took a step back, eyes lighting up at your strength. Shouting now, you pointed at him, nearly poking him in the chest.

"What the fuck did you do that for Levi?" For a moment you stared each other down, not wanting to give in, but in a flash you were connected again, lips hungrily kissing and hands running all over one another's body. You felt him exploring under your top, cold hands from the outside air sliding across your warm back and you let out a small moan. Taking advantage, he slipped his tongue into your open mouth, deepening the kiss which you reciprocated gladly. It was a moment fuelled by the tension you had shared in your short time as acquaintances, along with the burning lust that took over you instantly. You felt hands at your upper legs and were lifted, wrapping your thighs around him, his grip now on your ass and he walked you across to place you on the desk, lips never breaking apart.

You grabbed at him, pulling his body in so he was pressed up against you and you felt his right hand trailing down, squeezing your breast before moving lower, coming to rest in between your legs that were still open either side of his. He began to rub up and down strongly, causing you to groan into the kiss and squeeze tightly at his butt. Even though it was through your jeans, the feeling sent shockwaves across you, making you insane with the sensation of his motions. Moving in time with the fast strokes without thinking, a heat grew within you. No one had touched you there for a few months, apart from yourself and you felt an urgent need. Slowly, Levi drew his face back, enough to break the kiss but still so close that your lips touched and he smirked at the look in your eyes and felt the quick breaths you took.

"Want me to stop?" he whispered and you shook your head, totally immersed in the crazy situation, all thoughts abandoned. His hand moved up and you felt fingers dancing across the skin above your waist band. Gazes locked together, he slid his hand in under your jeans and panties, fingers slowly reaching for their target. Just as he was nearly there, you heard the door shut loudly and stared wide eyed at him, but he didn't move. You couldn't see who it was past Levi's body and the woman spoke out from where she must have been standing at the closed entrance. 

"Carry on, by all means. Nothing I haven't seen before. Not on my own fucking desk, though."

She stayed quiet, no footsteps to suggest that she was coming closer and Levi raised his eyebrows as you felt him move and roll his finger against the most sensitive place on your body. You twitched into his touch instinctively and part of you wanted him to keep going, not giving a single shit about the fact that you were getting fingered in a brothel with the madam stood watching. Common sense and pure embarrassment prevailed and you stared up at him, pleading with your eyes and shook your head once. He smirked, but complied and slowly removed his hand, taking care to brush against your clit as he went, making you close your eyes and fight to keep composed. "Oh well." Loud footsteps announced the slightly disappointed woman was coming over and still clinging on to each other, you buried your head into Levi's chest to hide, hoping the ground would open up and swallow you whole.

He pulled you off the desk but you stayed pressed into him as you heard the creak of the leather chair being occupied. His hand on your shoulder spun you round so you stood facing the older woman, her brown hair tied up high and blue dress ridiculously tight. She smiled up, gaze clouding over as she looked across your face, taking in the pink cheeks, slightly open mouth and wide eyed stare. "Oh shorty, look what you've done to her. You'd better finish her off soon before she explodes." A wistful look crossed her features and she mumbled up to you, chin resting on her hand. "The money I could make from you…."

Levi's voice snapped her out of the daydream. "Hange, don't start. Anyway, she'd probably kill all of the clients instead of fucking them." The woman leant forward, glee on her grinning face. 

"Ooh fierce as well? I can't resist that Levi, come on, be nice and share." Sanity returned to your foggy mind and you elbowed the man behind you in the gut, causing him to let out a huff of air. Still looking at Hange, you growled to him. 

"If you've quite finished pimping me out?" He regained composure and laid a hand on your backside, hidden from her view as he spoke. 

"So I guess you know why I'm here?" Nodding, she sat back in her seat and waved a finger at him like he'd been a naughty child.

"Of course. You killed my man." It would have been stupidly naive of you to think Levi wasn't capable of murder, yet hearing it out loud made it so harshly real. He spoke up again, voice close to your ear. 

"Because he was following my fucking asset while she was working." Stashing the annoyance at being referred to as an asset away for later, you watched as shock crossed her face, prompting Levi to continue. "Which I hear you had no knowledge of?" A slow shake of the head confirmed the new information. "All of this means that we both have a fucking problem, Hange." She frowned and stood, pacing up and down.

"What can you tell me about him?" asked Levi, looking over at the woman's increasingly pissed off expression. 

"I can tell you I'm glad you fucking took care of him, that's for sure. I'm not in the game of following women, only employing them." Stopping her strides, she looked deep in thought and moved back to her desk, turning on the computer monitor. Loud moans and groans sounded out and she hit a button to stop it, muttering an explanation. "CCTV. Purely for my girl's safety." A small smile told you otherwise, but you kept quiet as she searched for something. Seeming to find it, she pulled on a pair of glasses and leant in, reading the information quickly.

"Here we are. He wasn't here long, I know that. Only a few months. Took him on as security, recommended by……" Trailing a finger down the screen, she came to a halt and tapped it. "Pixis." That combined with the package you had been handed earlier made you sure that the old man had lied before when you visited and it made you angry. Not realising how deeply invested in this you now were, the need for revenge washed over your body and you clenched your fists as Levi spoke in clipped words. 

"Right. That's all I fucking need to hear. We'll let you get back to whatever you were up to." As you left, you heard a cheery voice calling out from behind as the noises started up again on her computer. 

"Let me know if you change your mind, honey. I'd love to watch you in action."

Slamming the door, you stalked down the corridor, desperate to get out of there. Like the gym, it had it's own scent of human nature, but this time sweat was mixed with sex and regret. As you swept past an open door, you saw a woman thrusting quickly on top of a groaning man, shouted sounds of fake enjoyment coming from her mouth. She looked familiar, but you brushed it off. It couldn't be.

Finally outside, you started to walk back the way you had come but you were stopped and pressed up against a wall, Levi kissing you roughly. You gave as good as you got, running your fingers through his hair and pushing into him. He broke the kiss to get some air, biting at your bottom lip as he released your mouth. Intense grey eyes stared into yours and he moved his hand back down, continuing what he started inside the brothel. The combination of the earlier passion and if you were honest, the sight of seeing people fuck had made you excited and almost unable to keep control of yourself as that same strong friction was applied between your legs. "Shall I do what the lady said, (F/N)? Finish you off?" With a groan you dropped your head onto his shoulder, breathing hard and unsure what to do. Moving up, you brushed your lips against his neck, feeling his strong pulse as you whispered random words against his skin.

As you felt him trying to get inside your jeans again, amazing self discipline crept in and enabled you to push him away. "No, Levi. I'm not letting you do that in the middle of the fucking street." He looked both upset and amused at the same time as you struggled to pull yourself together, grumbling expletives at him as you did your coat up and smoothed down your hair, his voice asking a maddening question. 

"So, back to yours then?" Staring up at him with utter disbelief, you laughed lightly, no humour in the sound and answered his query. 

"No, no Levi. I don't think so. I don't even fucking know you." As you walked away, he followed behind and muttered softly. 

"Fucking tease."

The rest of the journey had been made in silence and you didn't even look round when you walked up the steps and through the doors into your building. Before you could get inside your apartment to shower the smell of brothel off you, Eren jumped on you with a big hug and wet sloppy kisses on your cheek like a dog. "Jesus, Eren, give it a rest!" He stepped back, pouting and you pulled off your coat, glancing at the time. Half nine. Only an hour and a half had passed since you met the two men at the club. It seemed like forever. 

"Where you been? Whatcha do?" Your hyperactive brother was wearing you thin and you snapped at him. 

"What do you fucking want?" All of your frustrations were manifesting but towards the wrong person.

"Can I borrow some money?" His request was met by the full force of your highly strung brain and you laid into him with a bit too much ferocity. 

"Borrow? When do you ever fucking pay me back you little shit?" The look of sorrow on his face filled you with regret and you flopped down on the sofa, patting the seat beside you, inviting him to sit. Curling up next you, he gazed down at his legs and you spoke softly. "Sorry Eren, I've just had a fucking strange night. How's things going with Jean?" Your brother brightened and began rambling on about his boyfriend and how great he was. You listened with a smile as he told you about how Jean had bought him flowers earlier because they had a row over the TV remote and wondered how Eren could be so lucky sometimes.

He finished and you sighed. It was time to tell him something important. "Listen, Eren. Some stuff has happened and I've got myself into a shit load of trouble. It might not be safe for you here anymore. That's not me trying to get rid of you, by the way. I could get used to your breakfasts." Despite the seriousness of your revelation, he smiled at the appreciation of his cooking and held your hand tightly. 

"Is there anything I can do to help, (F/N)?" Now you smiled, but shook your head. 

"Just stay safe and at Jean's unless its daylight or I'm here. Ok?" He didn't question you, just accepted it and you were happy to see his trust in you.

Once you'd given him some money to take Jean out tomorrow with, he gathered some things and left you with a hug, taking a cab at your instruction. A text notified you he was safely at his boyfriend's and you relaxed slightly. After you had a quick shower, you opened your laptop and signed into the game. A message popped up instantly and you began to feel completely guilty, like you'd cheated on him with Levi earlier. It was ridiculous maybe, however it made your stomach clench with shame as you read User's cheery welcome.

"Alright Lights? Couldn't sleep without me?"

"Hey User. No, been hard to rest." It took a while, but a response came through that made your heart jump.

"I need to talk to you, Lights. In person. Can we meet?" It was just past ten, plenty of places would still be open. Excitement and remorse filled your soul and you typed back quickly.

"Of course, you ok User?"

"I'll explain it all later. You know that bar on Dean Street with the red windows?" God, not more red lights you thought, but you did know the place.

"Yes."

"See you there in half an hour? What are you wearing?"

"Right now, pyjamas."

"Well get fucking dressed. How will I know it's you?"

"I've got a multicoloured scarf. Bet there won't be many people standing outside a bar at half ten wearing that."

"Too true. See you soon."

Quickly you got dressed and and pulled the scarf from your wardrobe. Heart racing, you applied some powder to your face and a small line of black across your eyelids. Your hair was still a bit wet, so you just brushed through it, hoping you wouldn't catch a cold going out like that and ran to grab your coat, cigarettes and phone. With a last thought, you picked up your wallet, almost forgetting it and left your home.

Standing outside the busy bar, you were glad of the scarf in the freezing temperature and hopped from foot to foot with growing anticipation. Clammy hands were shoved in your pockets and your chest felt ready to burst. The adrenaline made you slightly shaky and as you felt someone approaching, you thought you might throw up.

For a year you had gotten to know him so well and finally you were going to meet him.


	6. Fractured Truth

As you glanced behind you, all of your excitement was washed away and you groaned. Dark eyes glared over and you felt the surge of hatred in your veins again. Of course, you'd forgotten to let him know of your movements, but all the same, he'd found you. As always. Everywhere you fucking went. His angry voice reached your freezing ears, but it held something slightly tired as well. "Why the fuck didn't you text me? It's late, do you still not realise what kind of shit you're in?" Shaking your head, all you could manage was a small apology, but still kept your back to him, the nerves from before still burning through your body and you scouted around, looking for anyone else to appear. "What are you even fucking doing here (F/N)?"

Finally turning, you replied with your own weariness. "I'm waiting for a friend, Levi. Now fuck off." His eyes widened and you saw glints of silver flash through them as he glared down at the stupidly festive scarf that was tucked down into your coat. It was a bit gaudy for you, granted, but one sure way to stand out from the crowd if needed and you tried to stop the inevitable jibes that would be delivered. "Yea ok, it's hideous. Just go away. Please?" The cause of so much torment in your life didn't move, though. He just kept staring and finally a smirk crossed his lips. Waiting for his insults to begin, you were instead sent reeling by his next soft words.

"Alright, Lights?" Unable to breathe, your mind spun in circles, trying to comprehend what had just happened. He must have hacked your computer. Known your conversations. But why? Slowly, it started to sink in and make sense, the horrible reality making you slump. It explained his late night work, the shared hatred of humanity, the dark and dirty personality. It was all too much for you to take and you just stood with your mouth open, not capable of anything more. Forcing you to move, he took your hand and pulled you dumbfounded into the bar, dropping you off at a secluded table before going to buy you both a drink.

When he returned, you were still staring vacantly at the wooden surface, not understanding how life could be so terribly unkind and twisted. A large measure of bourbon was slid across and you drank deeply, taking in half with one gulp as Levi sat down opposite you. Beginning to come to terms with it all, you thought about how he had let you in through his online persona, something he would probably never allow to happen in real life, same as you had done. So really, he was just as exposed as you were and the feeling of being on the back foot started to dissolve away. Slowly, you took off your coat and scarf, laying them down on the empty chair between you and began to get comfortable.

Finally meeting his gaze, you noticed his own shock, the smirk from before totally gone, leaving behind an expression you hadn't seen on him before. It looked a bit like fear. You broke the silent contemplation as he sipped at his drink. "So, why did you want to meet me now?" It sounded surreal, but not as strange as his quiet answer. 

"I was going to tell you about you." The whole situation became so absurd and you laughed before you could stop it, steely eyes glaring over at you. Waving a hand as you tried to calm down, you wiped tears from under your lids and explained once you were capable of speaking.

"Sorry Levi, but this has to be the most fucking bizarre day of my life." He couldn't argue with that and raised his glass in agreement. Wanting to know more, you tilted your head and asked him a question. "What were you going to tell me?" The expression on his face was odd and for the first time you saw him look slightly timid about speaking. Waiting patiently, you took a gulp of the warming liquid and let him think. You were having a hard time associating the feelings you had for User with those you had for Levi and you recalled some of the things he had said, about leaving this life behind, how you were the only one he could really talk to. And, of course, the filthy moments you shared. His voice startled you out of your thoughts.

"I don't really know. All I know is I felt fucking bad for, well, I don't fucking know, all right? Stop asking me questions." You understood completely. It was the same feeling of guilt that had tugged at your heart. Silence descended once more and you picked at a chipped piece of wood on the table as he spun his glass round in his delicate hands. Suddenly, you recalled the last time you had helped User out and the only call you had ever taken from Levi. At the same time. Eyes wide, you pointed across and started to smile, leaving him thoroughly confused until you spoke. 

"Oh my fucking god, Levi. I thought you'd been running or something when you called me. Holy shit, how fucked up does that conversation sound now?"

Giggles sprung from your lips and he remembered the event well, but now in the stark reality it seemed all the more lewd and he raised a hand to hide a smile. Tension broken, you laughed harder and all of the different events that intertwined came flooding into your minds. Prominent in his was the meeting following that particular occurrence and he now fully understood why you had been so damn pissed off. It was because you were horny and frustrated and he lowered his head, mumbling about another drink and got up before you could see his mouth spreading across his face in a grin.

A few more rounds of bourbon later and it was his turn to ask another question. "Why do you still work in that fucking coffee shop?" Shaking your head, you smiled and tried to form an answer. 

"Pure and utter self loathing, Levi. My punishment for everything bad I've ever done." Your response made him smirk, but you carried on with the real reason and it made perfect sense. That led him to another memory and his eyes flickered with mischief. 

"So, you know that guy at work? The one you hate so much because he thinks he's so fucking great?" Snorting a laugh, you nodded and waved your glass at him. 

"That's still fucking true, Levi. Don't get ahead of yourself."

The bar was finally closing and it was probably just as well, seeing as you had work tomorrow morning. As you walked home, a strange feeling gripped you, still trying to make head or tail of the whole situation and the journey was made without words. Reaching your building, you didn't really know what to do. Did you give him a hug? A kiss? Who were you standing with now, the man who was a filthy criminal, or the one you had chatted with openly nearly every day? Levi was having the same issue, not knowing if you were the provoking little shit that drove him insane or the woman who wanted to help him and soothe away his depression last night. It seemed like a good idea to leave each other to your respective thoughts and you settled for a light rub up and down his arm.

"Sweet dreams Levi." It was not delivered without rougish connotations and he smirked, leaving you to make his way home.

~~~~~~

Friday morning was awful, lack of sleep and the fact you never normally drank spirits unless you were on a binge session laid over you like a blanket of needles. Erwin glanced across at your hooded eyes and smiled. "Rough night?" Glaring back with a look that intended to kill, you sneered as you grumbled quietly. 

"Fucking weird one, more like." Not elaborating, you stepped sideways to let the ever cheerful Jean past, hating his freshness and good mood. With mindless movements, you served customers and gathered your thoughts on yesterday's events. In the space of a few hours and all down to one man, you'd been threatened with a knife, felt up in a brothel and met your online friend. Not bad for a Thursday.

So embedded in your musings, you barely noticed who the next customer was and had to be brought out of your reverie by a small cough. The smug look that still made you want to tear your eyes out looked over and the owner of the gaze raised his brows. "Not suffering too much, are we?" As he leant over, you almost growled; the man in front of you was pure Levi, no Username 101 existed right now. With harsh movements you fetched his stupid fucking tea, whispering over the counter to him. 

"You know full well I am, Levi. Do you know how much sleep I got? Four hours. Four fucking pissy little hours." The full extent of your fatigue was made clear to him and as he passed you his money casually, he smirked and delivered the final blow, sending you delirious with fury. 

"Ah, you and your sleep. You'd better get used to it, (F/N). We have an old bald man to visit tonight."

He strode off, not waiting for his change again and you let out a snarl of complete rage. Erwin's voice spoke quietly in your ear, making you jump. "Maybe take a short break, (F/N)? Caffeine and nicotine?" Infinitely grateful for your bosses sympathy and tolerance, you gave him a genuine smile and quickly grabbed a coffee, double shot of espresso added to the already strong liquid and put your coat on, patting the pockets to make sure your cigarettes were in there.

Standing round the side of the shop, you sipped at your drink and sucked in the smoke, eyes taking in the scene around you. People were on their way to work, shuffling down the streets like a production line of bodies with coats and hats on, breaths coming out in puffs of visible air. You still didn't know exactly what to do with all the new information buzzing around your head like a wasp that was stuck indoors, dotting around at windows trying to get to freedom. The drinks you shared last night were fun, talking like you did online, but when you saw him this morning the old feeling of hostility surfaced like they were two separate people again.

You shook your head to try and clear it, make sense of everything yet it didn't help, your mind was still troubled. A vibration in your pocket demanded attention and you pulled out the dreaded pink phone that you now had constantly on silent, not wanting to risk it ringing out loud in public. Pressing the green button, you picked up the call with a snap. "What?" You could almost hear his superiority as the silky voice filled your ear. 

"Don't be like that, (F/N). Not friends anymore?" It wasn't a question you knew how to answer just yet, your world was still in turmoil, but you tried all the same. 

"I don't even know what's going on, Levi. Who are you? Who am I? What the fuck are we doing?" It was all rather melodramatic, however your mood was dark and brooding and your body ached.

Levi took a few seconds to form a response, finding it easier to speak with the woman like they'd only recently met, but with the undercurrent of knowing her pretty much inside out. "Sulking isn't a good look on you. Snap out of it. Think of all the fun we'll have tonight?" Glaring around, you tried to find out where he was, convinced he was hiding somewhere watching you battle with your feelings as you spoke quietly. 

"Yea, because a run down drug den is exactly where I want to fucking go." Sighing, you gave up trying to spot the man who was pulling at your sanity and instead stuck your middle finger up at no one in particular. A small, breathy laugh confirmed he did indeed have eyes on you and after a gulp of coffee, you addressed him once more. "Just do one thing, Levi?" Silence allowed you to continue. "Keep your fucking hands off me."

Shoving the now disconnected phone in your pocket, you swept back inside, feeling utterly torn. For ages you'd waited for User to be able to touch you, feel you, but it seemed he already had and you weren't completely sure if you wanted it to happen again.

~~~~~~

A text had been sent to arrange to meet at 8 outside your building and you sat on the couch, alone and without your laptop, smoking and drinking slowly to prepare yourself for what would surely be another fucked up night. After this morning, the desire to quit your day job had come flooding back, but the relative normality it offered was holding your fragile brain down in real life like an anchor. To leave now would be giving into the life of crime, an existence full of danger and Levi and you weren't convinced you were ready for that yet.

You sent a message to Mikasa, continuing your conversation that began a couple of hours ago. Her and the new girlfriend Annie, who you still had only seen a picture of, seemed to be getting on ok, but the evenings were hard, leaving your friend on her own. It made you feel awful that a lot of your activities now seemed to happen after dark too, but true to her personality, she had taken to the relationship with complete obsession and refused to leave the apartment, wanting to be there when her girl returned. It had happened before in one of her relationships and you had gone weeks at one point without seeing Mikasa, but she just couldn't let go once she had her mind set on something.

It was nearing time to leave and you checked your reflection, light make up from this morning still in place, dark and tight clothes fitting well against your curves. With a sigh, you gathered your things and stepped out into the corridor, dragging your feet, now not in the least bit worried about the trip tonight, just about who it was with. You were first and leaning against the small column at the bottom of the stone steps that led from your building, you looked around, making sure no one else was coming close. Foot steps made you turn, the glint of dark hair under the street lights signalling his arrival and you stepped forward. Instead of walking past and making you follow, he strode directly towards you, eyes flashing and locked on your gaze. Levi looked like he was going to hit you, the intense stare making you unsure of what was coming next. He did raise his hands but only to place one on the back of your head and the other at your waist as he pushed you against your previous support, lips devouring yours and he forced his tongue in.

Yet again, he rendered you incapable of doing anything but join in and you vigorously matched his kiss, exploring every part of his warm mouth that tasted lightly of beer, hands pulling him close by pressing against his back. His strong thigh was between your legs and he moved it against you, causing sparks to ignite in your abdomen. As suddenly as it had begun, the embrace was broken and he grabbed your hand, pulling you harshly into the street, irresistible voice purring back to you. "Let's go break some fucking fingers." Reclaiming your hand, you hurried after his confident form, thinking how your request for no physical contact had fallen on deaf ears. But you found that you didn't mind, whatever this was between you seemed to be stoked by extreme passion and potential danger and you wondered how long you'd be able to stand all the fucking tension.

Drawing level, you looked up and saw an evil smirk on his lips, his fiendish personality expressed by the simple gesture, eyes twinkling with a menacing fire. It excited you as much as it sent fear through your body and you felt your own small smile creep across your face, surrendering to the macabre lust. Levi glanced down and drank in your appearance, thinking how he had never seen you look more alive. Not in all the time he had tailed you or been in your presence had he witnessed the woman by his side look so goddamn alluring. "Enjoying yourself, (F/N)?" With the same dangerous smile, you shrugged as you made your way to the ramshackle building. 

"What can I say, Levi? Every girl likes a bit of excitement in their life." Resisting the urge to get hold of you again, Levi stared straight ahead, trying to focus on the task at hand.

You pushed the crumbling entrance open without having to be asked and let him go in first, both of you walking with purpose towards the last room in the corridor. No one appeared this evening and as the door to the tidy office was flung open you watched closely as in one swift movement, Levi grabbed the old man from his chair and threw him to the floor, knees either side of the now prone body and holding a knife at his wrinkled throat. The money counting machine had been whirring, but stopped just after Pixis let out a cry and an order was shot over to you. "Turn it back on." His eyes never left the gold ones beneath him and quickly you reloaded the machine to make it add up the notes it had only just finished.

The noise filled the room and Levi lowered himself to be heard, voice making the man on the floor flinch. "Who the fuck did you tell Hange to employ and why?" On his last word, he pushed the blade upwards, not breaking the skin but letting Pixis know he was serious. Wide eyes stared up and a meek reply was given. 

"I don't know what you mean, Levi, I've never spoken to Hange in my life!" Slowly, the intimidating dark haired man stood, still glaring down and as the machine stopped, you made sure to get it going again as you heard a low growl. 

"Wrong answer." In time with the renewed sound of cash being counted, Levi brought his foot down onto the hand that lay on the floor by the bald man's side and even over the incessant clicking you heard a crack. Pixis shouted out and brought his broken hand up to his chest, cradling it in his still functioning one.

Once more, sharp metal was placed at his neck, and he was given another chance. "What was in the package you had her take to Kenny?" Yet again, total confusion met his words and Levi began to get the impression that this guy was either senile or actually had no clue about any of this. Elaborating, he snarled down. "Your little bald piece of shit gave her a memory stick last night. What was on it?" Sudden realisation crossed golden eyes and he began to ramble about how he hadn't seen Connie in days, presuming he'd got lost in a haze of intravenous drugs. Not moving for a moment, Levi took stock of the situation. The man he pinned down certainly seemed to be afraid enough to tell the truth and something in his face corroborated that assumption.

On his feet again, a delicate finger was pointed down with a clear promise. "You fucking tell me if you see him and if I find out you're lying, Pixis, I will come back and pull out every single tooth from your mouth." He meant each word and left the man with a powerful kick to the ribs, probably breaking some in the process. Jumping over the injured body on the floor, you followed Levi out without a second glance backwards and you realised that this was becoming rather enjoyable. For now, at least, while you were on the side with the upper hand.

Back outside and away from the stench of the place, you kept pace with the now furious man by your side, flicking your eyes over constantly to try and see what he was thinking. Deciding to offer your own take, you quietly spoke. "I guess we need to go back to that fucking woman then? Find out which one of her people took the recommendation and from who?" A small sound escaped Levi's lips, a tiny, ghost of a laugh and he looked across with amusement. 

"Think you're some sort of fucking criminal mastermind now, (F/N)?" Indignation and exasperation were clear as you snapped back. 

"No, Levi, I don't. Forgive me for wanting to have some sort of part to play in this shitty mess. I'm not just here for you to manhandle when you fucking feel like it. You wanted me to be an asset, so let me be one."

He stopped and faced you, entertained by the interesting outburst. "Oh, (F/N), you're so delightful when you're throwing a fucking tantrum." The words dripped with his usual sarcasm but as he began to walk off again, your instant desire to punch him abated with what he said next. "But you're right. We can't go back there today though, we need to think about what the fuck is going on before we go storming back into that shitty brothel."

Satisfaction and slight pride gave you a spring in your step and you followed blindly without realising where you were going, no idea of your next destination. Beginning to take note of your surroundings, you saw that you were in an alleyway between buildings, lined with filth and rubbish. It was almost pitch black as the only light came from small windows above and you grabbed onto Levi's arm to make sure he stayed by your side. The place didn't feel right, other than the obvious reasons and you wondered why he had led you somewhere so blatantly dangerous. "Just up here," he mumbled quietly and you saw a door with a faint glowing bulb hanging beside it.

Something moved and you were instinctively pushed behind Levi's body, using himself as a shield. Crunching foot steps approached and you felt the man you clung on to tense, his hand reaching for the knife in his inside pocket. A blur of activity suddenly crashed in before he could get his blade and you were aware of punches and kicks, two bodies struggling together in the night. Looking around for a weapon, you saw a wooden stick, about the thickness of a table leg and you lifted it, feeling it's thankfully heavy weight and took a breath, ready to throw yourself into whatever the fuck was going on.

"Don't!" A voice shouted out just as you heard a funny noise and felt burning pain in your left shoulder - it made you furious. Whoever was behind this needed to be hurt, over and over and without a thought, you swung the wood round and connected strongly with your assailant's head. Something fell to the floor and you saw the shape of Levi reaching for it as you prepared to make a second blow, but you were too slow. In shadows and silhouettes you watched as the taller man turned, holding his head where you had struck him and at the same time a straight arm was raised casually to eye level from Levi's side. With no hesitation, a popping noise sounded and you stared as the body slumped to the dirty ground while the gun was lowered slowly.

He carefully stashed the weapon in his waist band once the safety was on and stood over the dead man, taking a picture on his phone of the face that now had a small red hole in its forehead, blood oozing out like syrup. No words were exchanged, you probably weren't capable just yet. Stamping on hands and threatening people with knives was one thing, but you had never witnessed a murder before and it was taking your mind a while to unfreeze, incapable of stopping staring at the pool of red liquid that was ever growing under the head of the man on the alley floor. 

When your hand was grabbed, you made no attempt to stop it as you were pulled away quickly back in the direction you had come from. Turns and strange routes were taken, one of which actually went through a building and as you hurried along, you realised Levi was in the middle of a call. "Yes. Now. I don't fucking know, just do it." He hung up and muttered to himself with disdain. "Fucking idiot, just fucking do your job and clean shit up." Five more minutes of seemingly random directions passed by and you found yourself upstairs and inside again, but this time it was a small apartment.

There were no lights, just the faded glow from the street lamps outside shining through the tiny window. It was cramped, the ceiling sloped to suggest you were in an attic and everything was in one room apart from an open door that led to a bathroom. The space you were in housed a compact kitchen, bed and small table and that was it. No belongings, no pictures, no sign of life. Everything was dull, white or grey and you wondered where you were. "Is this your place, Levi?" you whispered, as if any noise would betray the soulless area. You heard a snort and he walked over to your side, phone in hand. 

"Of course not, (F/N). Have a bit of fucking respect, this is a shit hole." The picture of the murdered man looked up at you from the small screen and you stared down with morbid fascination as Levi sent it to a few contacts with a short message - 'Who the fuck is this?'

Back at square one, then, still no idea who was after you and whoever it was, they were sending armed men now. It made you even more glad that you'd warned Eren to stay away and you watched Levi place his phone and the gun that had a silencer attached down on the table before slipping into the tiny bathroom, leaving you to wonder what the fuck was going to get thrown your way next. A few weeks ago you were content with your money transfers, but now you were in too deep. You had to see this through to the bitter end, however that would eventually conclude.


	7. Spiral

Hearing running water, you presumed Levi was washing his hands and as he returned you saw he held a small plastic box. It made you finally remember the pain in your shoulder and you looked down to see a rip in your coat sleeve, realising what had happened - you'd been shot. He ordered you to sit on the bed and you complied, watching as he rummaged in the only existing kitchen cupboard and brought out a square bottle of bourbon, familiar black label on it's side. Cap off, he took a long swig before handing it over and you followed suit, throat burning but you presumed you were going to need it. As he opened the first aid kit, you saw it wasn't the usual household one full of plasters and the obligatory small triangular sling. Instead it had, amongst other things, a scalpel, bottle of antiseptic, small surgical tweezers, packs of adhesive strips and what looked like the thread needed for stitches.

"Levi, what is this place?" you asked, drinking more and passing it to him for a turn. He set out what he would need carefully on the open lid of the box and the bottle was lowered to the floor. 

"A kind of safe house, for this exact fucking type of moment." You nodded at his explanation and presumed you'd taken a strange route to avoid anyone who might have been following. Realising he was still, you looked up to see raised brows and a flick of the eyes down and up, but you didn't move, not sure what he wanted of you. With a sigh, he pulled at your coat. "I can't do anything with your fucking clothes on, you idiot." It was true and with a grimace on your face you shrugged off your now ruined coat. The t-shirt would be harder, given the movement required and you tried to do it with your right arm only.

It didn't work and you grit your teeth but still you couldn't manage. A voice full of impatience spoke from where Levi sat on the bed to your left. "For fuck sakes, (F/N)." Hands gripped the bottom of the dark top and in one swift pull he ripped it up and over your head, causing you to shout out in pain. Shaking his head, he mumbled to himself as he looked at the wound on your left shoulder, surveying the damage. "Fucking cry baby. It's not even a bullet hole, just a deep graze." It didn't make you feel any better about it and you grumpily asked for the bourbon back. Throwing more drink down your neck, you tried to stare straight ahead and not look down, but your curiosity took hold and forced you to move your head. It was a tattered line, a few inches long but not very wide and it was bleeding quite a bit. You weren't squeamish, however it was probably best not to watch whatever he was going to do.

Levi took his own coat off, slinging it to the floor and he took all of one step back into the kitchen to grab a towel and soak it in water. Back by your side, he pressed it against your skin, making you screw your face up and hold your lips tightly together and as he started to dab away what blood he could, his dark eyes scanned over your black lace bra and down your exposed flesh, appreciating every curve of your soft body. Attention back on what needed to be done, he took a packet of swabs and doused them in the antiseptic and gave you a warning. "Drink." Complying, you lifted the bottle and sucked deeply with a whimper as the wet, stinging sensation felt like you were being stabbed. It stopped and you lowered your head, wiping the back of your hand across your mouth and eventually feeling a slight fuzz taking the edge off the pain, although your brain felt no effects whatsoever.

He lowered his head to examine the wound, dabbing lightly now and again with the towel and deciding if stitches were needed. It wasn't something he wanted to do if it was avoidable, as no doubt it would result in more excruciating screeches from the woman next to him. Instead, he decided to use the surgical strips and carefully applied them. At least he tried to, but you were wriggling about and complaining the whole time. "Ouch ouch ouch, stop, Levi don't do that, ow!" Any sense of patience now gone, he grabbed your arm and snapped at you. 

"(F/N), stay the fuck still and stop being such a dick." Face back down centimetres from the injury, he continued and you did your best to not move, hissing your breath in and out of your clenched teeth.

Finishing off, he reached out for a bandage and pulled it tightly around your arm and wound it a few times round, pulling harshly to make sure it would stay. You cried out again and he rolled his eyes as he stood, looking down as you took another swig. "I never put you down as such a fucking whinger, (F/N)," he sneered, throwing your t-shirt back at you. Struggling, you managed to pull it on with more complaints, scooped up the bottle and then growled up at him. 

"Fuck off, Levi, you have no idea how much this fucking hurts." He put the medical supplies on the table, neatly packed away and threw the towel in the sink before spinning and glaring down at you.

"No idea, (F/N)? No fucking idea?" He stepped close, as was the only option in this shoebox of a room and lifted his black top. Your eyes took in the sight of two small round marks that were a slightly pinker colour than the rest of his porcelain skin, sitting across on his left side. In your peripheral vision you saw the outlines of his muscles and thought of how much he must work out to retain that kind of toned physique. You didn't get a chance to look any further as the fabric was dropped and you raised your gaze to lock eyes with his grey ones. 

"What happened?" you asked quietly. He grabbed the bottle from your hand and drank deeply before even bothering to answer. 

"I got fucking shot, you prick."

Gracing him with your best scowl, you watched as he placed the bourbon on the table, growing angry at his asshole personality. "Ok, no need to be a shit about it, Levi. I apologise for taking a fucking interest." He bent and spoke in your face with a snarl.   
"Don't interrogate me, (F/N). What do you think this is, fucking question and answer time? Share battle scars?" Shaking his head slowly, he continued. "You're just a little fucking lost girl with no idea what you've got yourself in to." Wanting to tear him apart with your bare hands, you looked up with burning eyes and imagined ripping his clever fucking tongue from his head, but your thoughts were cut short as you were pulled up sharply, pressed against his body. "Stupid bitch."

You weren't able to reply as your mouth was invaded by his again, the adrenaline of the confrontation in the alley mixing with the strong need you had felt since last night manifesting in your complete surrender. Kissing back roughly, you fought his tongue feverishly, hands sliding under his top to run over the muscles you had seen recently. You felt his touch on your bare skin also, flickers of electricity as he moved up and down your sides and you moaned into him. Anxious to move on, Levi pulled your t-shirt off again, but you didn't complain this time as you were liberated of your bra. You took care of his top swiftly and placing your hands on his chest, you brushed across his skin as you felt your jeans being tugged at. The next thing you knew you were thrown down on the bed without care, everything you wore waist down pulled from your body.

Looking up hungrily, you watched as he evened the score, now completely naked in front of you, hard member sending you insane with lust. In a split second he joined you, deep kiss connected once more and with a satisfied groan, he was finally able to run his fingers up and down your wetness fully, feeling how soft and ready you were for him. It was almost enough to send you over the edge and you groped around, hands clutching at anything you could, palms all over his body, small squeaks coming from your throat. He broke away and rolled on his back, reaching over the edge of the bed, rummaging around in his coat. You took advantage and gripped the base of his cock in your hand. Sitting up, you bent over and placed the tip in your mouth, running circles around with your tongue and you heard him murmur as you took more of him in, licking and sucking slowly. "Fucking hell, (F/N), jesus."

Levi turned back and took in the sight of your warm mouth around him and let out a choked sound as he fought to open the packet in his hand. Moving away and lying back, you let him roll the protective item down in place and he looked over, eyes flashing with desire as he lifted himself up to lean over you. "It's going to be so much fucking better than anything you ever felt when I made you come with my words, (F/N). I guarantee it." He pushed up and in to you strongly, growling with a basic human desire and you let out a cry of pleasure as he filled you completely. You felt him hook his right arm under your leg, pushing it up so your knee was next to your chest and he pulled out, only to bury himself back inside with a powerful thrust, making you moan out loudly. A few more slow but amazing movements later, Levi shifted to a kneeling position and pulled your body down the bed by your legs, holding your raised thighs by his sides, your feet resting on the covers.

Angling you upward, he began to pound into you relentlessly, sending incredible shockwaves through your body with every hard push. It was the fast, rough sex you had imagined it would be and it was divine, being able to watch him fully as he plunged himself in, again and again, pace never faltering. Without even caring what he might think, you reached up and grabbed your breasts, kneading them and pinching at your nipples. It sent Levi into a crazy haze, loving how you touched yourself and derived pleasure from it along with his own movements. With a panting voice, he increased his speed and spoke in an urgent snarl between thrusts. "That's right, (F/N), you fucking dirty little slut." His words made you alive with both enjoyment and animosity, the combination of love and hate sending you delirious and you felt a familiar sensation in your abdomen. It reminded you of your nights online with User and how offensively dirty he could be.

"You fucking love it, Levi. Now make me come." Not about to give in and be the weak one, you stared up at him and watched as his silver eyes clouded over at your ragged voice and his lips parted as he let out a low moan. He leant down, hands either side of your head, face close to yours as you swapped alcohol scented breaths in the small space between you. Whispers and sounds of pleasure trickled out into the tiny room and you gripped tightly on to each other, pushing up with your hips ferociously. The friction and depth finally caught you up, causing you to call out his name over and over. It mixed with the low and loud sound of your own and in a tangle of hands and shouts, you felt your core explode with intense fulfilment, orgasm raking through your body as you yelled affirmatives. Hearing your peak eventually for the first time and feeling your tightening walls, Levi was pushed to his limit and came viciously, roaring your name one last time.

Trying to breathe, you lay together for a moment and small kisses were placed on your lips as the waves of euphoria still washed over you both. Eventually calming down slightly, he rolled off and pulled the condom away, tying it and walking off to throw it in the sink along with the bloody towel. He picked his phone up, checking to see if anyone had identified your earlier assailant and you pulled your underwear back on and began the search for cigarettes. Grabbing the bottle off the table, you had to squeeze past the naked man to move around the small apartment and gather items. Back on the bed, you laid back against the wall, a small cup for an ashtray, smoking deeply and sipping at the brown, harsh liquid. Tossing the pack of smokes to him, you looked across as Levi picked them up whilst staring at his phone and groping around the bed for the lighter.

Smoke poured from his lips as he breathed out with an incredulous huff. "Well no one knows who that fucker in the alley was. Bunch of useless shits." Flicking ash into the cup, you glanced over as he sat on the edge of the bed, typing furiously with a scowl on his face. Finished, he threw the device onto the table and reached over to tap the growing column of grey substance from his cigarette into the makeshift receptacle and gladly took the bottle that was offered. Flicking his gaze up, he saw blood on your bandage and stood, pulling on his boxer shorts and kept the white stick loosely in his lips as he looked for some more supplies.

You crushed out your cigarette and held the cup out for him, delivering the same fate to his own. Sitting closely, he reached up to remove the stained cloth without speaking and pressed a few swabs against your wound. "Hold." Obeying, you made sure the padding didn't move and watched as he wrapped it back up, with more care this time. He put the bottle and cup on the small surface next to his phone, and climbed over you into bed. "It's late. We can't leave now, wait til it's fucking light outside. Get some rest." Both of you slid under the covers without another word and before exhaustion took over, you thought about how you both had just behaved as if nothing had happened. It was fine with you, not being a fan of cuddles and post coital appreciation and you began to realise with contentment that Levi and User were indeed exactly the same person and in many ways, the same as you.

~~~~~~

A buzzing noise woke you, that coupled with the sensation of being crawled over. It was like a shitty little caravan in here and the only way Levi could get to his ringing phone was across your body. Grunting with effort as he made the short expedition, he grabbed the annoying device and picked up the call on speaker, placing it back down and flopping over to lie next to you, hand over his eyes. "What?" One word was barked out to the caller, which was met by a well known creaking laugh. 

"Lovely way to greet your old uncle, Levi. What's the matter? Tough day at the office yesterday?" Shifting under the rather itchy covers, you got up and collected your cigarettes and the cup, glancing down at the screen that Kenny spoke from to see it was only 7am.

A faint discomfort throbbed in your temples from last night's liquid pain killer, but it wasn't enough to make you feel rough and you climbed back into bed, passing the pack to a now upright Levi. "Don't fuck with me, Kenny. Why doesn't anyone have a fucking clue who tried to kill (F/N) last night?" Thinking back, you had presumed he had shouted at you in the alley, telling you to not get involved. But maybe he had directed his one word to the armed man? It made you feel cold to imagine what might have been if his aim was better and you absent mindedly touched the bandage on your upper arm as the phone continued to speak.

"We're working on it." Well, marvellous. Now I can sleep safely at night, you thought and let out a loud tut. "And (F/N)?" continued your boss. "Less of that attitude. I presume you're in the spacious penthouse of safety? Homely, isn't it." It wasn't a question, just a reminder that even if he didn't know who was shooting at you, he knew exactly where you were, and the hideous drawl continued. "Nice night? How are you keeping?" Extinguishing your cigarette, you sat forward, words directed toward the phone on the table. 

"Fucking peachy, Kenny. Always nice to get shot." Getting up, you sidestepped around the bed to go in search for a toothbrush, hoping to high hell that there was such a thing in the petite bathroom. As you walked away, Levi followed you with gleaming eyes, smirking at the sight of your lacey french knickers and how the sat perfectly on your ass.

Their conversation continued as you brushed the taste of alcohol away with the minty paste, praising whoever was in charge of keeping this place. You imagined someone might come by to keep it tidy and stocked with essentials, non perishable food and the likes and you began to wonder what the next move would be for the two of you. The matters of who recommended the first man who followed you, the package from Connie and now last night's events all weighed heavily on you and it was hard to tell where to even start. 

As you came back into the main room, you heard the discussion coming to a close. Levi had put most of his clothes on but remained topless and he stood looking out of the window as he spoke down to the phone on the table. "So basically, you can't fucking go back there." A moment of silence followed as you pulled on your jeans and tried to find your t-shirt, listening to Kenny's final words of the exchange. 

"Fine. I'll have someone clear up. Whatever's going on, fucking figure it out. I'm getting fed up of all of this." The sound of a small beep let you know he'd hung up and for a few seconds Levi stood still, then slowly shook his head. 

"Fucking dick."

Both of you gathered your things and you were passed a small but thick green waste bag from the kitchen. Silently you took the items from the sink and threw in the cup and nearly empty bottle. Moving to the bathroom, you added the two newly opened toothbrushes and tied the top of the plastic that housed any sign you'd been here. The bed had been made quickly and perfectly by your companion and as you pulled on your coat carefully, you asked what had been on your mind over the last few minutes. "Where were you taking me last night?" The place that was now unsafe to go to in the alley had been the least of your worries, but curiosity made itself known.

Putting on his own jacket, Levi explained. "One of our offices. We've got plenty more. But I don't know if that shit of a man followed us or was fucking waiting, so it's not somewhere we can keep anymore." You felt a surge of responsibility all of a sudden as this situation had all come about because someone had tailed you. Not them. You. And regardless of why, it had not only caused your life to take a strange turn but had impacted on others. Not that you gave a shit about someone not having their hidden office anymore, however the events of last night had brought the threat of death into play and you didn't feel comfortable to know that it wasn't just you that could have been killed. It was that strange thing called feelings that had invaded your being recently and now that the physical subject of those was having to do all of this because of you was troubling.

Trying to shake the thoughts away, you moved onto a more immediate issue. Next steps. As if answering an unspoken query, Levi spoke. "Come on, you need to get home." He stood in front of the door and as you got close he remained in place, your bodies nearly touching as an irritating, smug expression stared down at you. Regardless of everything, you still wanted to sink your nails into his face at the sight of the small, self important smirk and the sound of his next silky words. "(F/N), I hope you understand that I'm not about to fucking propose just because we had sex." You laughed quietly and shook your head, speaking back in tones that matched his own sarcastic drawl.

"Oh Levi, I'm not some love sick little girl. Get over yourself." Patting him lightly on the cheek like he was a small, misguided child, you gave him an annoying, sweet smile and leant over to pull the door open, hard. It hit into him and you swept out, rubbish bag in hand, satisfaction in your heart at the pained sound he made when the door impacted. Once you were outside, the light fall of rain hung across the streets, instantly soaking you in the way only tiny, thin droplets seemed able to do. Closing your eyes slightly to avoid the water blinding you, the shape of an industrial bin came into view and you dumped the bag in, plastic lid coming crashing back down loudly. 

You had to be guided at first, having no clue where you were, but eventually you spotted familiar roads and buildings. Without turning, you mumbled over to the man next to you. "Is it safe for me to go home?" He considered your question, and as you both walked with bowed heads to keep the rain at bay, he made a decision. 

"It should be. Like I said, there's cameras in your building. But even still, that can be bypassed so don't fucking let anyone in that you don't know." It was an obvious course of action and you weren't exactly in the habit of letting strangers in, yet you didn't feel reassured in the slightest. Levi glanced over and saw the stern look on your face, one that wasn't just due to the weather and it was mixed with a slight element of fear. "Look, (F/N), I'm not going to fucking promise you it's ok, but I can get someone to watch the place."

The collection of bricks and mortar that he referred to was in sight and you turned to stare up at him with slight surprise. "Like, someone out here all the time?" He nodded, so you took up the offer. "Ok, thank you Levi." Neither of you moved at first, eyes locked in what was a slightly uncomfortable moment but mostly one of the regret at parting, lingering a while to prolong it. Finally, a finger pointed at your shoulder and a quiet voice spoke. 

"Keep that clean." And then he was gone, walking swiftly away with his head down, hands stuffed in his pockets, one of which contained the newly acquired gun. Sighing, you dragged yourself inside and back to the empty apartment.

~~~~~~

Your weekend was quiet and mostly uneventful, clouded in a haze of beer and weed to help with the pain in your shoulder. On orders, you had kept it clean and changed the dressing when needed, an angry line shining out every time you looked at it. Some texts with Mikasa told you that she was enjoying having Annie with her, but the late nights were beginning to get on top of her. It all spelled the same old story to you and it seemed only a matter of time before their fragile relationship came tumbling down. Eren had been round on Saturday afternoon, checking you were alright and scrounging money, of course. At some point you had looked outside and noticed a dark car on the opposite side of the street and it was there from that moment on. Your watchful allies, you presumed. Some work had been done, catching up with requests from Friday with tired motions on your computer.

By Sunday night you were thoroughly bored and did something that was natural but now slightly strange. Sitting on your sofa in silence, you opened the laptop and heard the comforting sounds and music of the game. You didn't check the list of contacts, just started where you had left off and went on the hunt for a suitable river to fish in. Smoking yet another joint, you watched as the little person cast it's net out and dragged in fake fish, along with an old boot now and again. A box appeared and you felt your heart jump up into your mouth, a stupidly childish reaction but you couldn't help it.

"So, what do you prefer? Your new night life or getting stoned in front of your computer?"

"Both have advantages, Levi." Unknown to you, he was slightly pleased you hadn't bothered with your online names, making this all the more a solid reality.

"Did the car turn up?"

"Yea they're still out there. Must be fucking boring."

"No doubt, (F/N). That's why I'm not fucking doing it." You weren't really sure what to say next and with sorrow, you realised you probably wouldn't come on here again. It had all just started to make sense in your mind, two people being one and the same and this was just serving to tear it all down. Perhaps Levi felt it too, as red suddenly covered the words Username 101. Before you could make a decision on how that made you feel, the table began to vibrate and you dashed over to grab the bright phone. Answering the call, you held it to your ear and sat back down but didn't speak, waiting for him.

"I can't fucking sit there typing anymore (F/N)." With a nod he couldn't see, you replied softly. 

"I know what you mean. So any news?" Bringing it back to business, you hoped to try and avoid any kind of awkward conversation, not being one for chit chat. Hearing a shuffle, you imagined him getting comfortable and the sound of a clink of glass sent a drink into the hand of the picture in your mind as he spoke. 

"We need to find Connie. That little shit probably knows more than anyone else we've encountered. I'm doing some digging, we'll fucking smoke him out soon." It made sense and you wondered when you'd be getting the call that would signal the next strange turn in your increasingly odd life.

Without a real idea of what to expect, you asked him something that had bothered your mind since Thursday. "Levi? How the fuck did you ever start playing that game online?" Not sure how he would react, you waited patiently for an answer to be formed. With quiet words, he spoke, sounding like he felt exposed but truthful as a hint of the man who was talking about leaving the dangerous life of crime replied. 

"To escape." It was a raw, honest response and one that made you uncharacteristically sad to hear. Thinking of how to say something that might help, your brain was halted as he coughed and the usual purr of his voice reached your ear. "I expect my fucking tea to be waiting for me tomorrow, (F/N). Your service is getting sloppy." With that, he hung up, leaving you to sit alone, smiling at his parting order.

~~~~~~

You had complied with his request and again this morning, usual smarmy persona in full force. Now you stood staring out with tired eyes, gazing over the customers and their dull, tedious Tuesday afternoon lives. Everything was blurred round the edges now that you had tasted the excitement that life could bring, even it did come with a price. Risk. But regardless of that, you couldn't help but almost squeal in joy as something buzzed incessantly in your trouser pocket. 

Rushing out the back, you waved Jean away from where he had been stacking the dishwasher and picked up the call. "Found out where he fucker is. See you tonight at midnight outside yours." There was a faint muffled sound of what appeared to be pain in the background and you presumed that Levi hadn't just bumped into someone on the street. Picturing what might be happening to whoever it was, you replied with a bit too much glee. 

"Where are we going?" A series of thuds filtered through and a small cry. 

"Just wait and see."

Almost skipping, not caring how late you would be going out, you made your way back into the main area of the shop, catching Erwin's eye. He watched as the usually sullen woman seemed to come alive and put a strong arm around your smaller shoulders. He was one of the few people whose touch you didn't despise and your boss looked down at the smile on your face. "It's good to see you happy, (F/N). It's unnerving, but good." Elbowing him, you remembered something you had meant to do. Glancing round, you saw Jean and excused yourself from the large man's hug and got closer to your brother's boyfriend. 

"Hey Jean, how are you and Eren getting on?" It was a kind of hidden way of asking if the chat you had with your sibling the other day had been shared. He understood and pulled you to the side gently.

"We're fine, (F/N). It's you that isn't. He's been so worried about you. Anything we can do?" You'd been quite abrasive with him in the past, not surprising seeing as how you had first met. Usually you liked to know someone's name before you saw their dick, but he was starting to grow on you and the fact that Eren seemed to be into him for who he was made you happier. 

"Thanks Jean, I'll be ok. It's fucked up but I think I can handle it. I've got help." A small smile crossed his friendly face and he leant in closer, voice conspiring. 

"Don't tell me that short guy finally stopped being a prick and actually asked you out?" Laughing with genuine delight, you put your hand up to muffle the noise, not wanting to disturb the steady drinking customers.

"Not exactly, Jean. I don't think he's the dating kind. Infuriating? Yes, but handy to have around even if he did get me in this mess." You'd already said too much and composed yourself, smoothing your clothes in a business like fashion. "Ignore me Jean, it's all good. Just look after that brother of mine, yea?" Nodding, he flashed his winning smile again and went to clear tables. Erwin appeared, frowning now as he spoke. 

"You've got a brother, (F/N)?" The ability you possessed to get through life without divulging any personal information was yet again being called into question, but you didn't mind. What did bother you was the look on his face. Ignoring it, you answered him a bit too cheerily. 

"Yup, stupid shit always gets himself into trouble. Luckily he's got me and Jean now. Right little inbred bunch around here aren't we?"

Erwin plastered on a smile that would rival one of your fake attempts and spoke softly. "Seems so. What's his name?" It was delivered casually but his lowered brows told you something wasn't right. 

"Eren?" It came out like a question because you couldn't figure out what was going on here. A change crossed his usually open features but it was fleeting and he returned to his smile almost flawlessly as he concluded the conversation. 

"Interesting name. You'll have to bring him in some time." Watching as the giant man walked away, you thought of how you'd only seen your brother in here once, about a year ago. He had a dislike for coffee and you just assumed that's why he never came back.

~~~~~~

The unease from your chat with Erwin earlier had disappeared, taken over by the now familiar feelings as you stood outside, waiting. Stomach invaded by butterflies, you tried to contain yourself by smoking a cigarette in the dark evening air, the car opposite still in place as your body was filled with a combination of emotions. Fear, excitement, wonder, lust. As the man approached, it all came to a peak and you had to make a physical effort not to jump up and down on the spot. Sweeping past, Levi grabbed your hand and led you away to yet another rung of the ladder of intrigue that you continued to climb down gladly.

Following with hurried foot steps, you trailed behind and tried to catch up, always seeming to be rushing along like a kid chasing an ice cream van. Tugging at the hand that gripped yours, you signalled for him to slow down, but instead he stopped and spun, gathering you in his strong arms and placing a forceful kiss on your lips before growling at you. "Don't be so fucking slow then, (F/N)." There was a fire in his eyes that betrayed everything he had said online about wanting to get out of his profession and as you felt a hand squeeze your ass tightly, you wondered if he had the same adrenaline fuelled excitement that you felt. Testing out your theory, you pulled his head down for another kiss, deeper and more vigorous than the first. He gladly joined in, tongue searching feverishly and as you felt his grip on your butt increase, you thought about how he was probably as deranged as you were.

Finally breaking away, he held on to you a moment longer and muttered as he walked off, back on course. "Such a fucking distraction." You just grinned and took up your usual jog, thinking how you were being pulled willingly into this spiralling reality. Soon, you were standing in front of a house, not dissimilar to Pixis' place, but the door was wide open. The street was full of boarded up buildings, a condemned and forgotten slice of the city that most people wouldn't dare to walk down even in daylight. As you walked in, the smile disappeared from your face at the scene that met you.


	8. A Fine Line

Bodies lay everywhere, strewn across the floor of what was just one, big room. Some of them moved, others seemed so comatose they were incapable of any sign of life other than a faint rise of the chest with every struggling breath. There was some furniture in here, but all of it was broken and dirty, chairs ripped and stuffing coming out from the gashes that had been made by the ravages of time and a lack of care. There were heaps of stuff dotted about, piles of clothes, bottles, unidentifiable things and a blanket of filth ran over everything. 

The ceiling gaped open, a large hole exposing floorboards from the upper level, plaster all but a forgotten memory and water dripped through steadily to mix with the rubbish below. It smelt unbelievable, a combination of drugs, piss and death. Instinctively you raised a hand to cover your mouth and nose and saw the man next to you pressing his own palm to his face. In the far corner, where most of the movement was concentrated, you saw an emaciated figure trying to undress a barely conscious and greasy haired woman, but he couldn’t quite manage it and opted instead to stick his bony hand into his loose jeans.

Before you could see what was inevitably about to happen next, you were led through the mountains of humans and degradation, stepping over anything that didn’t look like the floor to reach the bare wooden door that stood in the back wall. The next room wasn’t much better. It had been a kitchen at some point, but not anymore. No working appliances were present and the neglected sink was stained with a variety of different colours, cupboards were missing their doors but it didn’t matter, they had nothing inside anyway. 

If Pixis’ place was the source of the drugs, then this was where a huge amount of them were consumed. The complete desperation that was present made you wonder just how low and used up you had to be to end up here. Something made a noise and you clutched onto Levi’s arm, eyes wide and trying to find the source. A figure emerged from behind what you thought used to be a cooker, a face you recognised and now wanted to smash into the wall. Connie stood with shock on his face, but judging by the loose tourniquet that hung from his arm, he wasn’t in any position to try and run away.

All it took was Levi to step once towards him and he was down, falling on his ass and trying to scrabble away backwards with futility. The man that loomed over him spoke in a tone that demanded full attention, his authority clear. “Everything. Now.” With a shaky voice, the bald man began to explain, pointing out how he had been approached by someone he didn’t know, but they offered him money, much more than Pixis ever paid him. All he had to do was help someone find a job at the brothel by way of recommendation and then he was asked to pass the memory stick to you to deliver to Kenny. After that, he had been advised to lay low and now found himself here, money stashed somewhere safe.

It seemed plausible, but you found it hard to trust any of these people, why should you? The junkie lying on the stained, cracked kitchen floor below you certainly didn't exude the air of a reliable source and you wondered what Levi thought of his apparent confession. He took his phone from his pocket, thumb flicking through to find something specific. Once located, he held the screen down in front of Connie's face and watched as the bald man nodded slowly with even wider eyes. "That's him! That's the guy who made me give a name to Hange's man and who gave me the parcel. Told me to tell you it was from Pixis." The picture was shown to you, instantly recognising the face which had a small, red bullet hole in it's head. Your injury had been stinging all day, but began to throb now that you were reminded of it.

"What happened to him?" asked Connie, trying to slither away across the floor. It was a ridiculous question and he received an appropriately blunt answer. 

"I fucking killed him. What did you think happened?" He was trying to claw his way to the back door, now lying on his stomach and making movements that looked like he was attempting to swim. Sighing, Levi stepped forwards and brought his foot down harshly in between the shoulder blades of the slowly escaping man. A scream reached your ears and you walked round to get a better view of the scared face on the floor, not really knowing why.

The dark haired man glanced over at you with curiosity, carefully taking in your stance. You had tilted your head and frowned slightly, looking down like you were studying a difficult equation or scrutinizing a strange new animal in a cage. It made him certain that he had been right in his assumptions. You would be of great value in this line of work, cold and calculating despite your apparent low pain threshold. But worry pinched at him as he applied more pressure to Connie's back, just to see your reaction, using the man beneath his foot as an experiment. Making another shout come from the mouth of his play thing, he watched closely as a tiny, almost imperceptible smile pulled at your lips. That wasn't what worried him, he was doing this to excite you now, a fucked up form of foreplay, almost. What concerned him was putting you in danger. He hadn't really given a shit before when he had first suggested it to Kenny, but now he saw a different woman, the one who he had befriended just over a year ago and the stakes had been raised.

Back to reality, he growled down at the piece of shit under his shoe. "If I ever see you again, I will make you wish you'd never fucked with us. Clear?" A small squeal sounded out and as a parting shot, he moved and kicked the man in the face, smirking as he saw blood. He grabbed your hand tightly, squeezing as he saw your smile increase and he pulled you close, both expertly avoiding the sea of humans and assorted debris to the blessed fresh air outside.

Once you had made your way to more luxurious surroundings, a quiet street that had working lights and buildings that stood proudly, you were pushed up against a wall harshly and felt warm lips on yours. The sight of Levi commanding so much power over another person coupled with the way he caused fear on the useless prick of a man's face made you feel intoxicated. You wildly clutched at any part of his body you could find, your deep kiss full of moans and sighs, mouths devouring one another in hungry motions. Nothing else existed in that moment, just the two bodies entwined in an extreme embrace, your palm now rubbing strongly up and down the bulge in his jeans. He broke away, leaving both of you breathless and flashing silver eyes stared into yours as you continued the quick friction with your hand. "Fucking hell, (F/N)," he murmured and placed a series of kisses on your wet lips.

You pulled back slightly, heart beating fast and eyes connected. "Is it wrong to get so turned on by you being an intimidating asshole?" A smirk answered your question, along with a dangerous look in orbs that seemed to gaze into your very soul. For a moment you stayed like that, still groping at his erection, but he put an end to it, making you groan with frustration. 

"Stop that, (F/N). I don't want to make a fucking mess." Charming. But he was right and you knew you had to keep moving. Pounding down the streets with a yearning lust, you spoke across to Levi. 

"What now?" He considered your words, and made a bold statement. 

"I need to fucking think. Your place is closer." Inviting himself round, he was met by no resistance and began to wonder what it would look like, imagining the places you might have sat whilst he chatted online with you, the bed you may have laid on when he helped you out.

~~~~~~

Mikasa had tried your phone about twenty times but each effort was sent straight to voicemail, indicating your device was either off or out of battery. Unable to stand being in the apartment anymore, she shoved some items in a bag and left, spare key in her pocket. Annie had returned home at nearly 1am and stank of cheap cologne, adding fuel to her belief that her girlfriend was cheating. A heated argument had ensued, resulting in the blonde being holed up in the bedroom. Mikasa didn't care that she was leaving her own apartment to go elsewhere, she just needed to leave. Now. She'd called a cab earlier and waited for the message that would signal it's arrival.

Once she got to yours, she knocked but received no reply. Opening up, she was met by a dark apartment, lit only by the moon that shone through the windows and sighed, making her way to the spare bedroom to try and get some sleep. She left a note on the table next to your laptop, knowing you'd probably pick it up whenever you got in. Pulling her pyjamas on, she curled up into the clean covers and tried to rest.

A series of bangs woke her not long after, along with the sound of keys being tried in the lock. Quickly, she shot up and peeked through the small gap in the bedroom door, holding her breath as she heard voices, one of them yours. Suddenly, she saw you burst in, attached to a man with black hair like hers and watched as the door was thrown shut with a slam. In what seemed like mere seconds, both people were totally naked and the guy quickly grabbed something from his coat pocket before being pushed down onto the sofa. A moment later and you were on top of him, instantly taking his length in. Mikasa stared as your skin glowed in the light of the moon and was mesmerised by the movement of your hips.

Without really thinking about it, she slid her hand underneath the waistband of her pyjama shorts, fingers moving in time with your motions. All she could see of the man was legs and the hands that gripped you tightly either side of your waist and she blocked him out, concentrating solely on your ever increasing thrusts. Words were exchanged between the two, but they were whispered and she couldn't make them out. Whatever it was, it caused you to moan out and throw your head back, the shift in position giving her a good view of your breasts as they bounced up and down beautifully. It became more heated quickly and still matching the pace, Mikasa felt her own peak approaching as she listened to her friend groaning and shouting in pleasure, imagining it was her making you insane.

Still ignoring the man, she watched as you yelled out incoherent words as the frenzied movements became urgent, reaching her own burst of satisfaction with twitches and shakes as she listened to your cries of elation. Breathing quickly but quietly, she looked over as a quiet discussion was held, kisses shared and you climbed off to grab some beers and bounced away to your bedroom, gathering clothes on the way. She didn't dare move, hand still between her legs as she saw your latest conquest catch his breath and pull the condom away, searching for a bin. Item dealt with, the man pulled on his boxers and t-shirt, stretching and clicking his neck back and forth.

The smug smile on his lips made her want to punch him for what had just happened, but what occurred next made her stop breathing. He looked right at her. Surely this guy couldn't see her through the tiny gap, the bedroom was pitch black and no moonlight shone in the direction of the door, but still, he seemed to lock gazes with her. The smirk increased and she thought she would die there and then as he got closer, still about two metres away but near enough to speak quietly to her. "Enjoy that, did you?" With a raise of his eyebrows he was gone, walking off to your bedroom with the rest of his clothes in his hand.

Cold fear ran through Mikasa's body and she stayed motionless for a while, hearing voices from your room, the scent of weed seeping out. You seemed to be having a conversation. Of course, chat in the bedroom and fuck in the living room, she thought sarcastically and crept quietly to bed, fatigue and the remaining throb down below helping her to drift off quickly.

As you dragged on your joint, you spoke to Levi while he lay back on your bed, upper body propped up on the headboard next to where you relaxed in your nightwear. "If it was that guy in the alley, then he's dead, right? End of story?" A shake of the head met your supposition and after a long gulp from his bottle, he broke your theory to pieces. 

"What about the package? Why get someone into that fucking brothel? Why not just take you out?" The questions had no answers and you stared sullenly out the window, curtains open still, stars visible in the strangely clear sky. Eventually, you grumbled another query. 

"So what now, then?" The man beside you frowned, sipping at his beer as he formulated a plan. 

"It's too late to do anything now. Let me sleep on it."

~~~~~~

It had taken a while for you to fall into slumber and it had for Levi too. As you had laid on your side last night, trying to sleep, you were aware of his shallow breathing that signalled he was still awake but you had stayed quiet, letting him think. Morning now upon you, the hot water of your en suite shower helped to wake you up and as you lathered shampoo through your hair, an annoying, shrill sound reached your ears. You'd totally forgotten about the phones in your drawer and rushed to finish washing. Streams of liquid were halted and you dried quickly, hearing the sound of water from the main bathroom that signalled Levi was getting ready too. There was no good reason why this place had two bathrooms, perhaps they had expected people to be sharing the accommodation, separate washing facilities essential in that situation.

Leaving that dull train of thought, you got yourself dressed and checked your wound before pulling on a dark red top. It didn't need bandages anymore, and you carefully brought the fabric down over the healing scar. Using quick strokes, you applied some foundation to liven up your appearance and slid the black kohl pencil across your lids in a small line. It was only half 7 and you certainly hadn't had enough sleep. Levi returned to your room, hair wet, looking thoroughly disgusted, sneer on his lips as he glared over at you and voiced his thoughts. "I smell like fucking strawberries, (F/N). Get some decent shower gel." The idea of a man capable of murder now having such a sweet scent was hilarious and your giggles only served to infuriate him more. That, and the fact he had to wear the same clothes yet again. "Annoying shitty bitch."

His words didn't bother you as much as usual today, but as the pang of dislike curled around your stomach, you brushed your wet hair with violent movements. "Don't be a prick, Levi. It was your idea to come here, not mine and if you don't like it you can fuck off." His scowl locked onto your similar expression, battling silently across the room. It actually pleased him to see how he could still make you mad, get that kind of reaction from the sometimes bothersome woman. So he decided to push. Casting a scrutinizing eye around the room, he hummed and put on a look of deep thought. "So, (F/N), is this where all the magic happened? All those times you touched yourself because of me?" It had the desired effect, but he hadn't expected what you did next, totally caught off guard.

You weren't embarrassed by it at all, however the self satisfied sound of his voice made you snap and lose all sanity. Throwing your hairbrush across the room, you flew at him, turning the tables and forcing his body against the bedroom wall, picture frames shaking slightly with the impact. For a second, Levi actually couldn't move, the strength you possessed when pissed off was impressive, but even when he was able to see how to shake the angered woman off, he didn't. 

Remaining seemingly at your mercy, he smiled down and you knew full well he could throw you away with ease now and it enraged you. "Why aren't you fighting back?" you spat at him, trying to figure out what his game plan was. He just stayed still, smiling as he whispered his response. 

"Because you're incredibly tempting when you're upset." The fire died down and with a huff, you let go of him and stormed off to fetch your laptop. It lay alone on the kitchen table, as unknown to you, Mikasa had slipped out to grab her note in the early hours of the morning, trying to eliminate any sign that she was here.

Levi leant against the wall and watched as you sat cross legged on your bed, cigarette in your mouth as you did things on the screen that meant nothing to him. Tossing another phone aside, you picked the next one up and continued your quick work. The movement of figures in different windows was carried out with expert precision and as your fingers danced across the keyboard, he wondered if you realised fully what you had been doing for four years. With a click, you'd probably just paid someone to commit murder and with another you'd bribed an official or policeman. You kept the seedy underworld alive. But he guessed you wouldn't care even if you did know, these people meant nothing to the unconcerned woman that sat like a child on top of comfortable sheets.

Transfers completed, you shut down the computer and picked up your personal phone, tapping out an apologetic message to Erwin, telling him that you had an urgent family matter to attend to, but would be in later if you could. It bothered you ever so slightly to lie to him, yet not enough that you wouldn't do it. With a sigh, you looked up at the pale man. "What's the plan?" He held out a hand with a slight bow, like he was offering you a dance. Rolling your eyes, you took it and were led through to your living room as he let you in on phase one. 

"Tea." Still vexed from his non confrontational behaviour earlier, you nevertheless complied, grumbling internally at the fact he hadn't risen to your violent move.

Once your hot drinks were made, you sat together on the sofa and listened to the real next steps. Obviously, Kenny would need to be contacted to see what the memory stick was all about, but given that he hadn't mentioned it yet, you imagined it wasn't pressing. Hange would be another person to visit, with the plan to obtain any more information on why someone on her staff would be important in all of this. Finally, and perhaps the most logical first port of call would be someone who seemed to know everything about the fire arms that infiltrated the city, an attempt at ascertaining who shot you.

Coats and shoes on, you left the apartment and made your way downstairs to meet yet another player in the world of crime. As if it was part of a natural conversation, the man who walked with you confused you completely. "That friend of yours is a bit fucked up, isn't she?" Coming to a halt, you stared at him, expecting an explanation. "Oh didn't you know, (F/N)? She's been in your spare bedroom since before we got back last night." It was delivered so casually and you shouted out, not caring if you disturbed any of your stupid neighbours. 

"What the fuck, Levi? You could have told me before you let me jump all over you!" He shrugged, eyes gleaming. 

"In my defence, I didn't know she was there until after you fucked me. She didn't seem to mind, though." Sighing heavily, you shook your head. Back in the house share from a few years back, she'd seen you in a similar position on a few occasions, but it was surely still an unnecessary sight to force upon her.

Wondering why she was even there, you continued on your way, only to be stopped by the main entrance to your building by an arm across your body and as you looked over to find out why, the dark expression on Levi's face made you scared. It wasn't the look of a man in control and shivers ran through you as he growled his words that were laced with uncertainty. "The fucking car's gone. Back inside."

Upstairs, Mikasa watched you leave with the man you seemed to hate, having only caught a few words of your conversation. She was, however, fully aware that you must have had a physical disagreement this morning and the thud that had sounded through the apartment told her one of you had been thrown up against something in a moment of rage. Also, you hadn't put your uniform on today and as it was Wednesday you should be working. That brought her from her musings and realised that she was supposed to be in the office soon. Collecting her things, she rushed to the window to wait for you to leave before she could make her own getaway, hoping that the ridiculously pale man hadn't said anything to you about their bizarre meeting.

In an instant, the apartment was occupied by more than just he, and she spun to see the two of you return. Her friend's eyes were wide and the man was talking on the phone in clipped words. "(F/N), I…." she began, but you stopped her by holding tightly onto her shoulders. 

"I don't have time to explain, Mikasa. We need to get away from here. It's not safe." On the way back up, Levi had informed you that the two men who were to keep watch on you would not have been easily ambushed and the absence of their ride could only mean one of two things, neither being ideal. Either they had been ordered away by someone, or left of their own volition. Quickly, you went into your room, grabbing a suitcase on wheels from your wardrobe and stuffing clothes in, along with other essentials. Your full stash tin was shoved in your coat pocket and the laptop and burner phones placed in the black bag that was padded to transport your computer.

Looking around, you couldn't think of anything else and pulled out your own phone, sending a quick message to Eren. "You can't come round here. I'll let you know when it's safe again. Call you soon." Back in the living room, you saw Levi hang up a call as he questioned you. 

"Is there a back way out of here?" Gathering up some more things, like your bag and cigarettes, you snapped at him and Mikasa watched the heated exchange in silence.

"How the fuck should I know, Levi? I always used the normal exit until you showed up."

"I showed up? Listen you idiotic bitch, it was you who got yourself into this, not me."

"How do you fucking figure that? Wasn't it you who thought I could be an asset? I was quite happy sitting here minding my own business, but no, you had to have some fucking fun."

"Oh, and you're not having fun, (F/N)? Who was it that got their knickers wet over few kicks to a shitty junkie?"

"Didn't hear you complaining about it at the time, you sanctimonious prick."

Mikasa saw the look on your face and understood some of what was going on. All the stuff about getting into whatever situation this was remained alien to her, but she came to the conclusion that no matter what the details were, it was exciting you. Finally, you'd found someone else on this earth that seemed to hold the same offensive, dismissive personality and the results were evidently electric. As she watched the two people staring each other down, she actually thought she might be about to witness round two of your angry passion, but a buzzing noise seemed to snap you out of it and the man called Levi spoke.

"He's here. Let's go." Frowning, you hissed over to the person who made you seethe with fury. 

"Who's here, fucking santa claus?" He pushed you out of the apartment with immense force and picked up your small case, glad that your friend seemed to understand she had to come too and waited as she ran out before shutting the door. Regret washed over him instantly as he saw you picking yourself up off the floor, unaware that he had shoved you so hard. Levi offered you his hand to assist but it was slapped away, probably quite rightly so. Instead of addressing the issue, he shelved it for later and strode off, giving the two women who followed an explanation. 

"Someone's going to give us a ride. We'll take you home first." He turned and locked eyes with his new acquaintance, seeing the burning in her gaze that was no doubt due to the way in which he had just acted.

Leaving through the front doors, you saw a large, black four wheel drive pull up, the type of car that would look more at home off road than in a residential street. It gleamed, the bodywork shining and polished alloy wheels that nearly blinded you. A tinted window rolled down and a familiar face grinned out at you. "Well hello again, little lady. And who's your friend?" The large man smiled down and you remembered his name was Reiner. Unsure why Levi had called him of all people, you all got in quickly and you gave him Mikasa's address. The leather interior was plush and comfortable and it looked like it had just been bought from the showroom that morning. The gym owner eventually spoke in the otherwise silent car.

"So, Levi, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" He was met by a click of the tongue and the short man turned to gaze out of the window from where he sat in the front passenger seat. 

"Don't ask, Reiner." Laughing, he turned into Mikasa's street and pulled up outside her complex. You and your friend gave him your thanks and hopped out, leaving the two men to hold a brief discussion. As they were occupied, you turned to your friend with concern. 

"Why were you at mine? Did something happen?" She shook her head, black hair swaying around her soft features. 

"Just an argument, (F/N), it's nothing. What the hell have you got yourself involved in? I can see you're loving the bitching but what the fuck is his problem? He pushed you over!" Ignoring the fact that she saw you two on the sofa last night, you smiled lightly. 

"I'll explain inside. Sorry for getting you caught up in all of this."

Levi exited the car and the three of you went in and up to Mikasa's apartment as Reiner drove away. She looked around first and finding no sign of Annie, waved you in. It was bigger than your place, more cluttered, ornaments everywhere along with the same kind of collage pictures that hung on your own walls. The man raised his phone and looked questioningly at your friend. She pointed to a door that led to the separate kitchen and he nodded once before striding through. He didn't need to make a call, but understood that you would need to explain some things and didn't want to be around for that.

Sitting down on the leather sofa, you were passed a joint from Mikasa's bag and getting comfortable, you began to give her the short version of the story, leaving out the finer details of your visits, things like murder and the mechanisms behind the odd relationship you had with the pale man that was in her kitchen. Taking it all in, she reached up to touch your shoulder carefully, amazed at how you had received the injury. As your eyes locked, she leant forward and pressed her warm lips against yours, obviously intending to make it a short show of friendly love, but once she was there, she found she couldn't stop herself. You felt a hand on your thigh and her lips part, so slowly and gently you pushed her back, eyes stern. With a shake of your head, you saw her expression turn to sorrow, hating that you had caused it but in no way did you intend to let her carry on.

"I thought we talked about this five years ago?" She pouted as you spoke, wanting to tell you how she felt, but instead went for the angry option. 

"Well you shouldn't string me along, (F/N). All those touches and cuddles, it drives me insane." Unaware of exactly how she thought of you until now, your heart was suddenly heavy with self condemnation at how many times you must have crossed the line from what was supposed to be enjoyable over to downright torment. 

"Mikasa, I'm so sorry. I thought we were on the same page, just having fun?" Her hand was still on your leg and she slapped it hard against your jeans. 

"No, it wasn't just fucking fun. And now I have to watch you and him, I just can't do it anymore." A frown knitted on your brows and you sat back, arms crossed as you realised she didn't just see a bit of last night's action, but probably intentionally observed.

"You don't have to watch anything you don't want to. Turn away, anything, but don't fucking tell me off for having sex in my own home." Her own furious glare met yours and with a shaky voice, she spoke quietly. 

"I don't think I can be around you right now. You should leave." It was the sensible option, put some distance between you so she could figure out what was going on, but it still hurt deeply and for the first time in years, you felt a lump in your throat that signalled tears. Before you could let Mikasa see you cry, her own eyes wet, you stood and went to retrieve Levi from the other room, holding everything in. As you opened the door to go, you turned and whispered over to your only true friend. "Bye."


	9. Coping Methods

Levi watched the figure next to him walking sullenly down the road, the weight of the world on her shoulders. You dragged your case along and a cigarette burnt in your lips and he noticed when you wiped a tear away. He wasn't going to ask what happened, partly out of disinterest, but also because he didn't deal well with crying women. Usually, he slapped them. If you felt like telling him what had gone on, he would listen, maybe give you a beer, but beyond that he had no idea. Being that you were the only woman he'd ever met that he actually found bearable to be around for any length of time, he doubted he would resort to his normal way of dealing with it, even if you did aggravate him regularly. He guided you with soft tugs in the right direction as you had no idea where you were going. Walking around was fine now, he only wanted to get a car from yours in case the building was being watched or the men that were meant to provide protection came back. It wasn't inconceivable that Reiner had been tailed, but no vehicles had visibly followed the large man's ride.

What looked like an old converted warehouse came into view and you looked over at Levi with a frown. He noted your red eyes, but ignored them for now and offered an explanation. "It's safer if you stay at mine for now, (F/N). Until we get to the bottom of this heap of shit." Nodding, you guessed he was right and you were in no state to argue, so you weakly allowed yourself to be led in after the door was unlocked by a keypad. 

A man sat by a table in the large entrance foyer, but not like a concierge would. He didn't look intimidating, his slight dark facial hair standing out in stark difference to his blond, curtained locks and he stood with a smile, shaking Levi's hand strongly. Turning to you, he leant in and for a minute you thought he was going to kiss your cheek. Instead, he sniffed. Flinching back, you glared at him and watched as he looked over to the other man with a wink and a nod. A slight smirk was offered as a response and the blonde addressed you properly. "(F/N) I presume? I'm Mike. Been keeping this one busy?" A thumb was jerked in Levi's direction and you saw the strange man's eyebrows raise, making you wonder just exactly what information had been shared between the two.

He asked you to give them a minute and as you watched them walk to one side, deep in quiet conversation, you picked up on Levi's body language, deciding that he had time for the man called Mike. Friends might be a strong word, but it was the closest thing you could think of to describe the seeming acceptance. Casting your eyes around, you took in your surroundings. Exposed red brick walls were complimented by wooden floorboards, polished to the point that you might slip on them. Large arched windows sat on one wall, with black metal squares holding the glass panes in place. There was a tight spiral staircase but also a lift, one of those industrial ones that you had to pull the slatted doors shut yourself. Light was provided by some trendy metal fittings on the low ceiling, illuminating where the dull sun didn't reach. The only other thing in here was the desk that your new acquaintance had been sitting at, where the two men now stood.

Discussion over, Levi was by your side and took you across to the lift and after a series of movements, you were on your way up slowly, passing two other floors on the ascent. Opening the sliding door, you were led out and now stood on a small landing, no natural light, just matching bulbs that mirrored the ones downstairs. A single door faced you and it was unlocked, revealing a spacious area. The same brick and wood ran throughout what you could see and two smaller but identical windows from the foyer sat to your left. Before you could walk in, you were held back and instructed to carry out a command. "Boots off." Complying, you sat them to one side on a mat just inside the apartment that was already occupied by a pair of shining black shoes, carefully placing them down so they didn't touch the remarkably clean footwear. Now allowed in, you began to look around.

A large black leather sofa took up pride of place facing the windows, an imposing coffee table in front of it that housed a few items. Laptop, coasters, ashtray and a book with no writing on the cover. There was a TV on the wall to the side, but the sofa wasn't positioned to be a good place to watch it and you glanced over to see a sturdy, solid wood desk and leather chair. That would be the vantage point for the screen, you thought and turned to look at the back wall. It was open plan, like your place and the kitchen ran nearly the length of the room, gleaming white surfaces and cupboards offset by black appliances. Two doors sat either side of the kitchen area, presumably hiding the bathroom and bedroom respectively. It was a nice home, if a little impersonal and as you shrugged off your coat, a pale hand invited you to sit on the sofa - you gladly accepted, it had been quite a walk over here.

Pulling out your tin, you looked up with questioning eyes. Levi nodded and walked off to the kitchen, making no noise on the floorboards now that he only had socks on his feet. A clink of glass suggested he had grabbed some beers and as you lit up, you checked your phone. Only 10.16 am, but fuck it, you needed a drink. Bottles were placed on the coasters and a body sat down heavily next to you, leg crossed over the other and arm on the back of the leather cushion. He stared as you blew out a perfect ring of smoke, expertly using your tongue and lips to form the shape. Sighing, you drank deeply and set the beer carefully back down. A few minutes were shared in silence and joint finished, you crushed it in the ashtray and rubbed your forehead, a multitude of questions and emotions tangling together in your brain. The primary thought was Mikasa and you felt the tightness in your throat invade once more, hanging your head and gritting your teeth to hold back the tears.

Levi watched you closely and as you raised your gaze, he steeled himself for the inevitable. Here it was, the moment that he had so many reservations about and he took his own gulp of beer to help him along the way. Listening without moving, other than to drink, he was let in to the whole story, what had happened between you and your friend, how you thought it was all in the name of fun and ultimately how shitty you now felt at your actions. And also the unnatural sorrow that invaded your usually uncaring heart. He could see you were struggling to cope with the emotion, not sure what to dou and he understood completely, being devoid of most feelings himself until he had made friends with a virtual entity called Lights.

As tears began to fall, you felt utterly wretched, pissed off at your base reaction, how human and vulnerable you felt all of a sudden, but it was warranted. You'd left your closest friend when perhaps you should have stayed and tried to patch things up there and then, but at the same time she had said she didn't want you there. Conflicted, you felt your heart ache, but also despised how you were a mess of a woman in front of Levi all over what was probably to him only a stupid fucking argument with your friend. 

He hadn't made any derogatory remarks though, just sat next to you quietly and you made a move that could backfire hugely, but it was the only thing you could think to do. Bowing your head, you turned and laid it onto his chest, trying to hold back but failing. As your sobs came out along with salty liquid, you were taken over by powerful sadness. Levi didn't know what to do at first, however trusted his instincts and did something he had never, ever done in his life before. He wrapped his arms around you in a caring embrace and held you tightly, letting you release what you needed to, not bothered that his top was getting wet.

His actions made you cry harder, a simple act of kindness that you weren't used to from anyone but your now estranged companion and you reached out to grab onto him as if clutching on would save you from the pit of despair you found yourself in. Finally pulling yourself together, you raised your head and wiped your face and saw something on Levi's expression that confused you at first. It wasn't the usual boredom, hatred or distaste you were growing accustomed to. His brows weren't screwed up in a scowl, but they held a different position to normal and you realised it was a look of sympathy. Uncomfortable moment of weakness over, you felt better for getting it out of your system and sat up straight, reaching out for your beer and sniffing slightly before downing it swiftly in long swallows.

"Sorry, Levi." You couldn't look at him, still embarrassed by your softer side, but you felt a smirk growing on his lips. Making a decision to try and balance the universe, he tried to provoke you into the strong and sometimes twisted woman he knew. 

"Don't fucking do that again, you idiot. You look a fucking mess." Laughing, you shook your head, fully aware of what he was up to and stuck your middle finger up sideways. 

"Fuck you, Levi." Now he was smiling with evil glee, and purred his response. 

"Any time, (F/N). Just not now. Sort yourself out." He pointed to the door to the right of the kitchen and you assumed it was the bathroom and as you got up to take advantage of the offer, you kicked his shin on the way past, earning yourself a warning. "Watch it, shitty bitch." Smiling, you strutted off to clean yourself up, feeling more and more back to normal.

Once you had fixed your tear streaked face in the luxurious and spotless bathroom, you walked back in to see two more beers being placed on the table and questions began to run through your mind. As you leant back against the sofa, Levi began to fill you in. He'd contacted Reiner because as much as he hated the stinking gym he owned, he knew the large man would go nowhere near the likes of Connie. He knew Pixis, of course, everyone knew all the main players, but being a health freak, his body was a temple and all of that shit and he had no time for druggies. So in that sense, he was probably nothing to do with your situation. As for the men who were meant to watch you, Levi had no explanation, and you voiced a concern. "If you were supposed to trust them and they screwed you over, then how can you trust anyone else? Mike, even?" You were treated to one of his rare, huffing laughs and an explanation.

"(F/N), I don't trust anyone. Not even myself half the fucking time. But you do have to exercise a little faith to get ahead. And Mike's fine. Known him long enough to see if he's hiding something." It did put both of you in a strange predicament, though. If people who were supposed to be on your side decided to turn against you, where did that leave things? Pushing the worry down, you moved onto your next question, trying to figure out how Levi's mind worked. 

"What about the memory stick?" He shrugged. It was another thing he constantly drew a blank on but didn't want to let Kenny know he was at a loss. They might be related and on the surface he seemed to be a compliant little lap dog, but they both knew there was a frayed relationship between the two men. He gave you the only answer he could think of. 

"Can't be fucking important, otherwise he'd be dangling it in my face, the irritating shit." Sighing, he thought how he didn't even believe his own words, yet wasn't going to let you into his own trepidation.

Pressing on, you asked about the man downstairs. "Why did Mike smell me then wink at you?" Another small laugh was breathed out before he responded. 

"Because he's a fucking weirdo." Lighting a cigarette, he continued. "It's his way of sizing people up. And he winked at me because he agrees." Frowning, you glared over. 

"Agrees with what?" You didn't get a response, just a smug look that made you want to smack the smirk from his face. "Fine, don't fucking tell me." Sulking, you slammed your beer down a bit too hard, causing the loud noise to ring through the large room. Suppressing your annoyance, your last query and least important one was put out there. "Do you own this place? The whole building?" He tilted his head, amused by the seemingly material question. 

"Why, (F/N)? Thinking about making yourself comfortable here?" You matched his demeanour flawlessly, own mischievous face settled in as you leant over to roll another joint. 

"I dunno, Levi. It's a bit boring looking. But then, I haven't seen the bedroom." Feeling him move closer, you glanced across to see his eyes flashing, knowing that some other smart comment was coming.

"Who needs a bedroom, (F/N)? In fact, why don't we ask your little friend over, have a bit of fucking fun?" You snapped your head round fully, face screwed up in distaste. 

"Not fucking funny, Levi." He sat back, satisfied that he had wound you up again and mumbled his last words on the matter. 

"Calm down, idiot. I'm not fond of sharing, anyway." The possessive nature of his statement made you mad, but at the same time it did something else entirely and you struggled with the conflicting feeling of being owned.

Everything had been covered, even if it hadn't been tied up to a nice conclusion. You yawned, feeling the effects of your relaxants mixed with the fatigue you presumed came from crying. Levi looked over to your bloodshot eyes and pointed to the door that led to the undiscovered room. "Go take a nap. You still look like shit." Scowling, you stuck up your middle finger again and growled. 

"Not exactly an oil painting yourself, Levi." It wasn't delivered with much effort though, you knew he was right and watched as he stood and gathered his things. 

"I've got to go tidy up some fucking mess anyway. Get some rest, we can pay a visit to the shitty recluse tonight, see what he knows about the gun, if anything." You shuffled off and climbed into the large, soft bed, covers smelling of washing powder and fell asleep almost instantly.

~~~~~~

It was nearly 7pm and you were hunting for your sock. Levi sat with a content look on his face as you rushed around, paying close attention to the way you wiggled around the room, grumbling as you went. When he had returned earlier he was pissed off, having been in the presence of idiots all day and he took his frustration out on the woman that was living here now. He had thrown your naked body unceremoniously over the arm of the sofa, your breasts pressed against the slightly cold leather as he roughly ploughed into you from behind and now he felt ready to take on the world, thinking how having you here would be a nice distraction. You were similarly reinvigorated, but the way he had torn your clothing off the second he walked through the door meant it had taken you ages to find it all again. Finally, the black item was pulled out from under the sofa and you were fully dressed, ready to go.

As you left, Levi offered Mike a nod and you saw other men milling about, like something was about to happen. Your chaperone muttered something and moved away to speak with a serious looking man and you took the chance. Walking quickly to the blonde, you smiled sweetly and saw his eyes look you up and down. "Help you, (F/N)?" Getting close, you spoke quietly. 

"Mike? What has Levi told you about me?" Unsure what to say, he took his time and considered his response carefully. 

"In what respect?" Always good to answer a question with a question, but you weren't budging. 

"In all respects. He said you agreed with him. Agreed with what?" Mike laughed, a loud hearty sound that caused some heads to turn from the assembled crowd and he leant in to give you an answer. 

"That you would be trouble for him, (F/N)."

A grip on your arm prevented any further interrogation and you were swept outside into the freezing evening air, your breath billowing from your mouth in clouds and you shoved your hands in your coat pockets, trying to prevent them from turning red and numb in this weather. You decided it would be worthless to probe Levi and made a note to speak with Mike again soon. Trotting along, you resumed your questions from earlier, seeing as he been in the kind of mood to chat. "What's going on in there?" Without breaking stride, he explained to the woman who scurried behind him. 

"The other two floors are something of a social space. That's why I never fucking go there." Turning a corner, he kept a watchful eye as he led you towards your destination, elaborating on his answer. "There's a poker game tonight. Always gets loud and someone will inevitably start a fucking fight. Don't expect much sleep, (F/N)."

Great. That was all you needed before you had to be up early for work and you started to wonder if Erwin was pissed at you. Actually, you didn't care that much, despite finding him pleasant to be around, it wasn't like you needed the job. After you had woken earlier, you'd made serious money on your laptop whilst sat on Levi's bed and then called your brother. Understandably he was worried, however Eren was accepting of your previous request to stay away and you promised to catch up soon. So caught up in your own thoughts, you didn't notice the man in front had stopped and ran straight into him, causing him to spin and grab your arm.

"Watch where you're fucking going, you shit." Staring up, you grimaced but found you weren't able to get very angry at him. He noticed it too and cursed himself for fucking you earlier. The frustration was needed to get you riled up along with a sense of fear, it seemed and he wasn't getting anywhere. Whilst the man you were about to visit wasn't dangerous, far from it, there may be others there and he needed you alert and in full bitch mode. So he made a decision to do something that came naturally, but not with you. Still feeling remorse for throwing you across the hallway this morning, he forced all of his irritating but growing admiration for you away and slapped you. Hard. It sent you stumbling back a few steps and he watched with slight pain in his gut as your hair flew across your face, head snapping round, catching sight of your wide, surprised eyes. But it worked.

In an instant he found himself blocking blow after blow, pain blooming on his body as you kicked and thrashed at him in the middle of the deserted street, wild stare making you look purely rabid. You bared your teeth and snarled as you laid into the man who had just struck you, trying to tear him apart limb from limb as your outrage manifested in seething violence. The fact that you knew what he was doing was a tiny speck in the back of your mind that was completely eclipsed. Just as you were about to bite him, Levi managed to get hold of a flailing arm and pulled it at an unnatural angle behind your back, almost to the point of breaking. Hearing you yell out, he gripped your recently injured shoulder also and pushed you towards your destination as you hissed at him. "I fucking hate you, Levi."

Nearing a bookshop, he marched you forward and delivered his own venomous words, the pain from your successful blows still making themselves known. "Feeling's mutual, (F/N), you annoying little whore." He shoved you through the door to the shop and you slid into the dimly lit area, crashing heavily against a shelf of books. A timid, mouse-like man looked up over a stack of papers that sat on the counter next to the register and watched with interest as the new addition to his store stood with clenched fists and an expression of murder on her face as she glared at the familiar man that strode towards him. His presence could never be a good thing and the owner of the premises laid his pen down with a shaking sigh.

"Evening, Levi. Y-you alright?" Despite the fact that he knew he was irreplaceable, the young male slightly feared the figure that approached, fully aware of what despicable things he was capable of. As he reached the counter, a pale hand laid something wrapped in a cloth down with a thud and demanded assistance. 

"What do you know about this?" Peeling the fabric back, the scared man looked over the grey metal before covering it back up. Passing the still irate woman, he locked the door and closed the blinds, offering the stranger a small, genuine smile on the way back as he gestured for her to follow. Two people in tow, he picked up the gun and led you both out the back, electronic lock allowing him to enter the large steel door.

You stared around with scrutiny at the metal shelves that were stacked full of weapons in contrast to the books in the main shop. The meek, blonde man looked incapable of this kind of thing and you gazed over with a calculating eye as he pulled out a small magnifying glass and began to examine the gun that had been responsible for your pain. There was someone else in here, you could feel it, but you couldn't see them and it bothered you. 

Walking around, you tried to find the shady character, poking your head around shelves and behind crates. Levi clocked your demeanour and felt slightly better about having struck you. The man he had brought you to wasn't so much an arms dealer, more of a follower of weaponry. He kept ledgers of every gun he knew of with the serial numbers and identifying marks, given the information by a variety of criminals who had an interest in keeping tabs on their enemies as well as how many of the deadly items were out there. It was, however, mainly a safe place to store them, keeping them away from police and rivals. It wasn't a conclusive list, by any means, but if anyone knew about the owner, it was him.

Your search for the other inhabitant was over as a pair of eyes looked up at you from a childish face, similar blonde hair to the man who was hunched over the table. She looked so young and feeble and you gazed down with mild interest as her eyes narrowed; then she did something you hadn't expected. A leg shot out from where she sat and connected with your shin and with surprise, you yelped. A deep, short chuckle sounded out and you turned incredulously to Levi. So that was what it took to make him actually laugh, have some runt of a slag kick you? 

With raised eyebrows, you searched his face for any sign of explanation, finding only the same shit-eating smugness that made your blood boil. When his silky voice spoke, it brought back your temper for the seated female instantly. "So, I see you've met Krista?" Twisting round, you glared down at the woman, wondering what the fuck she was doing sat out here in a locked room.

The other man clarified your unspoken query with his own small smile and you felt like the butt of a cruel joke as everyone seemed to be enjoying this except you. "The lock works both ways, she was just back here counting when we came in. She's not used to company." Her face scowled upward and challenged you, but before you could comply and shove your fist into her pretty face, Levi pulled you back violently, bringing you over to the table. 

"Not that it wouldn't be a wholly entertaining fight, (F/N), but we're not here to fucking brawl." Heart beating fast, you held onto the desire to hit something for later as you were introduced to the only person unknown to you. "This is Armin. He has an unhealthy obsession with guns." The blonde shook his head, but expected nothing less. 

"No I don't, Levi. It's an interest." His voice was soft and sounded like he was an intelligent man.

The woman came closer and stood next to Armin in a protective stance and you pointed across. "She your guard dog?" Your question resulted in Krista slamming her hands on the table and leaning forwards with a snarl. 

"And what are you? Levi's fucking slut?" A strong arm struggled to hold you back as you tried to break free to kick the shit out of her and you felt yourself being pushed back into the door. 

"Calm, (F/N). Keep it all inside. Use it on me later." His whispered words and seductive eyes lit you up with a fast increasing lust and you bit down on your lip to suppress a small, involuntary moan. Released, you tried to compose yourself and moved back to the two blondes at the table. You weren't able to make any more comments, neither was Krista as Armin looked across his ledger with a frown, checking and double checking, all eyes on him. When he spoke, it caused a whole new confusion.

"Levi? This is your gun. You brought it in two months ago."


	10. Urges

It was deathly silent for about ten, long seconds. All eyes were fixed on the pale man who stood with no emotion visible on his face, so you decided to speak up with a fair amount of sarcasm. "How can you not know your own fucking gun, Levi?" Grey eyes met yours and a staring match began, neither about to break it and he continued to glare as he delivered his answer with clipped words. 

"I don't pay attention to that shit, I hardly ever use a gun. All look the fucking same to me." The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees as the two of you tried to telepathically curse each other, shooting unspoken expletives and hate filled thoughts across the small distance. Levi was not amused at being chided in front of the two others in here and his top lip twitched as a sneer crept over his otherwise stony expression. It was a sight that made your own mouth move, but not in anger; you couldn't quite help the satisfied little smile that invaded you.

Sensing trouble, Armin spoke up in an attempt to diffuse the strange situation. "B-but I can check who picked it up?" Two sets of burning eyes snapped round to him and he flinched before he could stop it. A delicate hand was waved in his general direction and he took that to mean he could continue his work. Cross referencing numbers and names, tying them in to dates he moved quickly, wanting to get rid of the furious people that currently stood in his shop as soon as possible. Frowning, he made sure what he was about to say was correct, as it probably signalled a massive problem. With growing unease, Armin raised his head and whispered. "Kenny."

Levi leant over slowly, pinning the man down with his eyes. "You wrote that?" He was pointing at the entry and had noticed it didn't match the majority of the script. With a shake of the head, Armin became nervous and watched as the two visitors turned to glare at Krista. There was no point trying to put himself in front of his colleague for protection, he was all about brains, not braun and he hated himself for it right now. Luckily, she was more than capable of standing up for herself and her defiant stance moved forward. 

"Yea, I wrote it, but who the fuck is Kenny anyway?" Sighing, Levi pinched the bridge of his nose and wondered how far this whole ridiculous situation was going to push him. He didn't have to formulate an answer and he felt slight amusement as one was made for him by the woman at his side.

"Black hat, disgusting yellow teeth, makes you want to fucking shower once he's looked at you?" Krista screwed up her face in displeasure, offended by the sardonic way she was spoken to, but kept her cool. 

"Never met anyone like that. And I always remember a face." It was said like a threat and it was exactly how you took it, fists clenched at the words delivered by the tiny woman. Avoiding a further potential conflict, Levi fished out his phone and pointed the picture of the man he shot towards the blonde woman. A shake of the head confirmed there was definitely someone else tied up in this who was going around giving his uncle's name out. Reaching his limit, he asked one last question. 

"So what the fuck did he look like, then?" It wasn't often she signed out weapons, Armin usually did that, so she didn't forget the man. Problem was, he had nothing distinguishing about him. As she described someone that could be any person on the street, Levi's patience snapped. "Armin, let me know if he comes in again. You," he pointed at Krista. "You are fucking useless. And you?" Now it was your turn to be gestured to. "Out." Fury still running high, you did as you were told if only to get away from the irritating female and noticed that Levi had brought the gun with him.

~~~~~~

Laying back on the comfortable bed, you started to catch your breath and heard the sound of breaking glass and raised voices. Turning to the equally fatigued naked figure next to you, a grumble was offered to him. "Shit, you weren't fucking joking, were you?" He shook his head slowly, a look of satisfaction on his slightly flushed face as he stared up at the ceiling, thoughts on the last twenty minutes and how the anger he'd provoked in you had certainly be put to good use. Levi watched as you swung your legs round and pulled on your panties, then began rummaging around in your case. Pyjama top discovered, you shoved it over your head and made your way into the main room, silvery eyes following your swaying hips.

He heard the TV being turned on and up to drown out the noise of the card game being played below and with effort, he pulled himself up. Boxers and t-shirt on, he strode through, grabbing a beer and pouring a large glass of bourbon. As he approached the sofa, he saw a cloud of smoke rising but no sign of his new housemate. Placing the drinks down, he was met by the sight of you lying flat out on his leather seat, ashtray on your stomach, eyes vacant, making yourself completely at home. He stood for a moment, glaring with half closed eyes and you slowly drew your legs up to allow him to sit on his own couch. "How does Armin not get raided every single day?" The question was as amusing as it was fair and he smiled slightly before answering you with a simple word. 

"Respect." You accepted it, yet still found it odd to think that no one had been tempted by the arsenal of weaponry.

Sitting up, you reached out for your beer with a thank you and winced as a crash rang out. "When will it stop?" you asked with your lids screwed shut, thinking how you would be getting no sleep and have to work in the shop like a zombie tomorrow. Levi just shrugged and leant over to take a drink. You sighed and voiced your thoughts on the matter. "So let me understand this all. You live here, you're a man to be feared. Right?" He met your gaze, not sure what it was you were getting at, but blinked slowly to confirm and tell you to carry on. "Right. So why don't you just take charge, tell them to fuck off?" It sounded so simple when your sulking words drifted out into the apartment and he held back the humour he felt rising, delivering his answer.

"Are you suggesting that I go against my uncle, who owns this place by the way and just casually let everyone know they can't fucking come round here anymore? How about if I just go the whole way, (F/N)? Just tell Kenny to fuck off too?" You bowed your head, not understanding the politics of the whole thing and mumbled from behind your hair. 

"I don't fucking know, Levi. But what does Kenny even do? Just sit in his ivory tower ordering you around? Seems when the shit hit the fan, he became nothing but a voice at the end of the fucking phone." Gulping your beer, you drained it and turned to see raised eyebrows and a faint perplexed look. Knowing you had no clue what you were on about, you carried on regardless. "So yea, tell him to fuck off. You could run whatever he does on your own, no problem."

You had no idea where that had all come from, probably just the prospect of no rest tonight and work in the morning, coupled with the ever growing circle of criminals you were now forced to be acquainted with. But all of them at least seemed to have a use and you did find yourself at a bit of a loss to justify your boss's existence. Expecting a tirade of cutting words, you just held your stare, waiting to be brought down. But it didn't come. Instead, with a quick movement, Levi took your lips into a gentle but firm kiss, over in seconds but it lingered on your mouth as it was your turn to look confused. "Levi, what….?" His softness bewildered you, as did the feeling you had running across your body. It was one of those acts of tenderness that would usually have nauseated you, but it didn't this time.

A pair of mercury flecked eyes looked across, but they glanced quickly down as he started to explain his actions. "Sorry." The way it came out, along with all you had discovered about him, virtually and in the flesh, told you that this was not a word he used often. Or lightly. Waiting for more, you watched as he finished his brown liquid and continued. "Sorry for shoving you to the fucking floor this morning. And for hitting you earlier." You felt absolutely no animosity towards him for either of those things, now that you were riding a wave of euphoria brought about by beer, drugs and unrestrained sex. Making a move, you placed a hand on his arm, hoping that his moment of benevolence would mean your touch wasn't ripped from his skin. He didn't object and you smiled, a genuine one and spoke truthfully.

"Levi, I deserved the first thing and needed the second. No requirement to apologise." Finally, he looked over, the open, raw expression reminding you of when he told you why he played the online game and the feeling of sorrow that only a few people had ever caused in you hit your heart like a hammer smashing through a wall. As soon as it appeared, it was gone, unmoving face staring over in boredom, words calm and steady, bringing the conversation back to where it had been. 

"As if I'm going to try and take over this shitty organisation. Can you imagine the amount of fucking idiots I'd have to deal with?" With a laugh, you patted his arm playfully. 

"But you'd look so hot in a cowboy hat, Levi." Narrowly avoiding a cushion that was thrown your way, you grinned as he stormed off to obtain more drinks.

~~~~~~

Levi observed from the chair, taking in your tired movements and totally apathetic features. Not even your usual hatred at serving a bunch of mindless drones shone through and he realised what was happening as you passed over yet another coffee. You were excruciatingly bored. The life he had brought upon you had filled you with exhilaration, awakening feelings and parts of your personality that you had never been aware of before. Seeing the woman he knew was capable of so much more being ground down by the menial job bothered him greatly and he longed to see the fire that burned within. He wasn't about to try and slap you around, that was a last resort yesterday, but he had to do something. It was driving him insane watching your lifeless expression, like it was a mannequin behind the counter instead of a human being.

Unaware of the scrutinizing eyes on you, Jean came close and whispered against your ear. "You ok, (F/N)?" Even the proximity of someone didn't cause anything inside your tortured soul and your lethargic motions continued. The man next to you was slightly surprised that he hadn't been reprimanded, however he was more concerned about your orders from yesterday and where you might be living right now. With a tired voice, you answered your brother's well meaning boyfriend. 

"Yea, I suppose, Jean. Just been a strange few weeks. Is Eren alright?" Sensing a nod, you took payment from the last customer in line and turned your attention to the conversation. 

"He's fine, worried but fine. You got a place to stay, (F/N)?" Muttering something about a friend, you played down the reality and noticed the taller man get close again, eyes darting around.

"Have you noticed Erwin's a bit off right now? He's hardly spoken to me." It was true, he had seemed different today, but you hadn't thought about it until now. He was out on a break at the moment, yet had been brooding all day. 

"I'm sure it's nothing, Jean. Everyone has bad days I guess." Taking some solace from your words, he left to clear up tables and you sighed, leaning on the counter with your elbow, chin in hand as Levi approached. 

"I would ask for a tea but you'd probably fuck it up." Glancing upwards, you had no energy to respond due to lack of sleep and a depressing disregard for life. He frowned and in that moment, you knew what had to be done. Standing tall, you spoke defiantly. 

"I can't do it anymore, Levi. This is my last day in this fucking place."

He was glad to see you take action and you carefully prepared his next drink. Pushing the ceramic mug over, you smirked and your usual demeanour began to return. "Last time I have to do this. Last. Fucking. Time." Offering you a demure stare, Levi bent slightly and spoke quietly before returning to his table. 

"It's not the end of the day yet, (F/N). And, of course, I expect you to fucking serve me at home." Home. Yes, it was temporary and annoyingly loud, but it made you feel safe.

By the time your shift had ended that evening, you hung around for a bit and felt slight nerves at handing in your notice and leaving this place behind, purely from habit and a bit of guilt at dropping Erwin back into having only one member of staff. Levi had gone, having business to attend to and Jean was loading dishwashers out the back. The place was deserted and with clammy hands, you approached your soon to be ex boss who was still decidedly grumpy. "Erwin? You have a second?" Sad eyes met yours, making you feel bad at what you were about to say. You'd be telling him the truth, but only scant parts of it and taking a deep breath, you started.

"I can't work here any more." Wide eyes and a slightly open mouth met your statement and he gently led you round to sit at a table in the corner. Concern etched on his face, he reached out to take your hand, and you suffered it gladly. Clutching tightly, he spoke quietly. 

"What is it, (F/N)? I hope I haven't made you come to this decision?" Smiling lightly, you shook your head. 

"No, Erwin. You've been nothing but kind." With a sigh, you gave him the abridged version. "I have a whole heap of shit going on in my life and I imagine it's going to take up all of my time very shortly. I'm sorry, I just can't keep it all up." His frown deepened and he leant forward, huge brows furrowed and a slight hint of danger in his voice.

"Is it that short guy who won't leave you alone? Say the word, I'll take care of him." Trying not to laugh, you looked down. Sure, he was big, but that meant absolutely nothing. Nevertheless, you were lifted by his offer and blatantly lied to his face. 

"Thanks, but no. He's harmless." Moving it on, you let the large man know how grateful you were with a show of rare affection. "Thank you Erwin, for everything. Putting up with me, teaching me, looking after me. I owe you one. And again, I'm really sorry. I'll still be around though, just maybe on the other side of the counter." His smile appeared and you squeezed into his grip, trying to leave the conversation light. "If you need staff, my idiot brother could do with experiencing a hard day's work."

Before you could wait for a comment, the phone in your pocket buzzed once and you excused yourself, pink item demanding attention. The message was simple. "Are you fucking done yet?" On non-negotiable orders, you were to remain inside or with Levi at all times. It was as suffocating as it was exciting, knowing you were in potential danger and you had mixed feelings about the whole thing. Tapping back, you let him know you were busy and to have some patience. Jean had locked up and looked over with a puzzled face as Erwin sighed, speaking across to his remaining member of staff. 

"Just you and me now, Jean." Again, wide eyes met the news, but you also saw a slight amount of knowledge in there, as if he understood that whatever you were caught up in did not work well with a day job.

The three of you chatted a while, until you could no longer ignore the avalanche of moody texts and you were sure you could see a figure outside, a faint red glow of a cigarette being smoked in the dark. Accepting the offered hugs as you gave your farewells, you told Erwin to waive this month's pay cheque. It was only fair seeing as you were leaving instantly, not working out your required two weeks notice. You and Jean left, waving behind you and leaving your old employer to finish up as usual. Aware of the presence of the other body, you took your time saying goodbye to the man who made your brother so happy and revelled in the discomfort you were causing Levi. Cutting ties with this place had also made you feel free and you were positively full of a blissful sensation as you watched Jean walk away, a growling voice in your ear. "For someone who hates people, you really do know how to fucking chat, (F/N)." Elbowing him, you smiled and left the shop behind.

About fifteen minutes later, nearly at the warehouse, you realised your mistake. The keys to the cafe were still in your pocket. Not knowing what was in store for you next in terms of the world of questionable activities, it would be prudent to take them now while you could. Imparting the information to Levi, you watched as he tried not to kick something, frustration at having to make the journey back made clear on his scowling face. "For fuck sakes, (F/N), you stupid shit." Offering a small, unapologetic shrug, you turned and quickly set off on the return trip.

You didn't want to just pop them through the letterbox for all to see and the light that shone from the area out back made you glad - Erwin was still here. Opening up quietly so as not to shock the large man, you stepped in. Levi started to say something but you held a hand up to silence him as you heard strange noises. Creeping across the dark main room, you listened out to ascertain if the soft voice sounded in pain, but you couldn't tell as it was so quiet. With a pounding heart, you stuck your head around the door frame, the body of the pale man melded into your back, ready to spring into action if required. Your eyes became huge and your mouth hung open at what was really going on and you heard a tiny, hissing laugh in your ear.

Erwin's trousers and underwear were round his ankles, hands gripping onto smaller hips as he slowly but strongly pushed himself in and out of the man that was bent forward over the desk and you saw a familiar flash of hair. Unable to tear your eyes away from the car crash of a situation in front of you, the man on top bowed down and kissed the back of his lover's neck and spoke in a low moan. "God, Eren, I've missed you." Your brother let out a small noise and you managed to retreat quickly and quietly, pressing against Levi to make him leave. Grabbing a napkin, you stepped out as your sibling shouted with pleasure, locking up and shoving the impromptu parcel of keys and tissue through the slit in the door.

Walking off, you thought how fucked up the miniscule circle of people you had in your life was, connected in ways that almost seemed incestuous. It all started to become clear and you lit a cigarette, breathing deeply as you realised that Erwin must have been your brother's sugar daddy, the one he cheated on and now here he was, betraying Jean and making you mad all over again. Sensing a smugness next to you, Levi spoke with an infuriating tone. "So, that was your brother? Being fucked by your boss, in the shop his boyfriend and sister work at? Well fuck me, (F/N). And I thought I had a complicated life." Not looking over, you continued your fast pace back to the place you lived at for now, only able to shake your head to try and rid the image of Eren folded over the wooden surface from your mind.

Back at the warehouse, Levi told you the code you would need to enter if you happened to be here alone and you tried it out, gaining access with a beep. The sight of an assembled crowd only served to irritate you more and you wondered if these people ever went home. Assuming they were all Kenny's men, you started to hate him even more, sure that he wouldn't be allowing this in whatever building he lived at. Mike was here but had a bottle of vodka in his hand, swigging regularly, another man sitting by the desk today. Smiling, he waved across with amusement as he saw the look on your face and glanced at your companion as you joined him. "Mike, you have no fucking idea what her family's like," drawled Levi. Not letting him continue, you kicked out and brought your foot down onto his, leaving a dirty smudge on his otherwise perfect shoes.

The blonde man raised his eyebrows and began to get ready to watch what would no doubt be a monumental fight, observing how his friend glared down at his feet, growling at the troublesome woman who he had probably correctly described a few days ago as an intriguing nuisance. "Get in that lift. Now." Slightly upset at the fact it wasn't going to end in punches in front of him, Mike was brought sharply from his thoughts as you grabbed the bottle from his hand and drank in a long gulp. Giving it back, you stormed off to comply with the order, leaving the two behind. 

"Levi, try not to kill her." Flashing steel eyes locked up onto his playful gaze and deadly parting words were delivered. 

"I'm going to fucking destroy her, Mike." Spinning, he followed in your wake and threw the slatted door shut violently, not waiting for the machinery to even get going before he started to pull at your clothes, hungrily kissing and biting at your neck. His friend stood gazing over as the scene slowly ascended from his view and smiled, thinking how it would be interesting to have this female around.

~~~~~~

"No Eren, you listen to me. What the flying fuck are you playing at? Can't you keep it in your fucking pants?" Levi listened with a smirk as you berated your brother on the phone, the hypocrisy of not being able to contain sexual urges shining out like a beacon as you paced around in only your thong, dim light from the bulbs illuminating your curves and dancing across your breasts as they bounced with each step you took. 

It had been three days since the incident at the cafe and you hadn't left the apartment once. Levi had been out on work related visits, but the search for whoever was after you had been placed on hold. The man who had collected the gun was a dead end and there had been some unwanted attention on the brothel from what was presumably a member of another faction from out of town, meaning that you couldn't follow up on that avenue. Discussions with the ever present men in the building had drawn an apparent blank, with no one aware of why the protection detail had disappeared.

You'd filled the time by carrying out transfers, keeping up the image of normality to your clients, any one of whom could be your hidden assailant. Money had been sent to Levi also, as you had no intention of being a kept woman, paying your way. All of this meant you were going crazy with boredom when you were left alone, only perking up as the dark haired man would return, sometimes bringing required items for you. When he had got home this evening around an hour ago, a bag was placed on the kitchen surface but before you could take a look, you had been dragged roughly to the bedroom and sent once more into a frenzy, temporarily fulfilling your seemingly insatiable appetite for Levi. As you stormed around the apartment on the phone, it was clear that your life currently revolved around hours of nothing which would then be broken by intense sex.

Your brother's voice cut into your thoughts, weakly trying to explain. "But Erwin was so kind, (F/N), I don't know what to do." His whining tone begged you for assistance and with a sigh you rolled your eyes at the man sitting at the desk, a small smile shooting over at you from behind his laptop. 

"Ok Eren, here's what you do. Choose. Don't fuck about and for the love of god, use protection." Hanging up, you let out a sound of exasperation and went to find out what you'd been brought this time. Searching through the black travel bag, you pulled out some toiletries you'd requested, fed up of smelling like a man when you showered. A brown package revealed a substantial amount of weed and the final white paper bag contained the medicine you had asked for.

As Levi saw you pull the last item out, your parting words to your brother rang in his ears and he decided to ask something that had been on his mind. "You take that pill every day?" Nodding, you took the box of contraceptive tablets from the bag and held them up as if to confirm. He looked thoughtful and stood to join you in the kitchen with his next question. "Been tested?" Head bobbing once more, you added words this time. 

"After the last guy I was with. You?" His affirmative was received, both of you being careful people despite your apparently more dangerous professions. With a small grunt, Levi turned and went back to work on the computer, mumbling his last thoughts. 

"Good. I fucking hate wearing those things. Costing me a fucking fortune too, you're uncontrollable."

You'd dressed eventually and sat back on the sofa with a joint in hand, your own laptop open as you logged on to the game. The sound was down and you looked across the soothing fonts that announced where you were, familiar scene lifting your heart like you had found a long lost family member. It had been a while and you sent your avatar off to fish, picking up where you had left off, thinking how it felt like years ago that you were last here. A small notification popped up and slowly you turned, grinning at the man who sat behind you at the desk, one of his eyebrows raised.

About half an hour later and you now sat side by side, computers on the coffee table as you got ready to try a newly released quest. It demanded skill and planning and as you sucked at your beer, you listened to Levi's strategy. It was shit and you told him so. The frustration of being cooped up indoors was lifting and you found yourself thoroughly caught up in the moment, not even thinking about anything else as your previous dismissal was challenged. "Well I'm fucking doing it anyway, (F/N). You haven't got any better ideas." Clicking some buttons, he sent his small warrior off and you elbowed him strongly in the ribs. 

"Fuck off Levi, don't pull a Leeroy on me." Virtual alias rushing after the head strong one that would undoubtedly get you killed, you heard him grumble across. 

"That's a totally different fucking game."

~~~~~~

After the enjoyable, drunken Sunday evening online, which had indeed resulted in your demise on four occasions, the loneliness of Monday had crept in, only to be alleviated in the early afternoon as Levi had returned by lunchtime. Neither of you were coherent enough last night to do anything other than sleep and he had felt like shit all morning. Right now, he was sitting up in bed against the headboard trying to listen to the voice at the end of the other line, but found it impossible to concentrate. He'd only answered the call after his phone had rung five times in swift succession and gave up when it called out on a sixth occasion. The annoying, chirping words of the woman drifted into his ear and somewhere he was able to pick up that she was panicked, but no more than that.

He gazed at the reason for his lack of attention, watching as you slowly moved your hips seductively from where you sat on top, taking in his length with each thrust. It was delicious to feel you properly for the first time, no restrictive sheath in the way and he was driven insane by the way you ran your hands across your body. Disembodied words continued but he was oblivious and as you increased your speed, he looked up at your smile. When you bit your bottom lip, he lost any sense of control and as his hand went slack, Levi was vaguely aware of the phone hitting the bed and bouncing off onto the hard wooden floor, tinny voice calling out. "Levi? Levi, what are you doing, are you even listening? This is important!"

Incapable of anything other than lust, he grabbed hold of you and threw you down onto your back, making you squeal with laughter that quickly turned into moans of pleasure as he slid down. Holding your waist, he lowered his head and you felt the incredible sensation of his mouth between your legs, tongue causing electricity to course through you. Panting, you spoke in short bursts. "Levi, I'm gonna come in a second if you keep that up." He quickened his pace and you groaned out loudly, gripping onto his hair tightly, body moving in time with his licks and sucks. "Jesus, Levi, fuck….." 

Just as you thought you would be sent into a wave of contentment, he stopped and you growled in frustration, needing the release. Wiping his fingers slowly across his face, Levi sat up and crawled over you, purring his words as he watched you wriggle in anticipation, stroking a hand down your flushed cheek. "I'll fucking get you there, don't worry (F/N). Just not yet. I want to have some fun with my little slut first." Slamming into your now soaked entrance, he moaned and felt how luscious and warm you were, the call from before totally forgotten.

An hour and a variety of positions later, Levi bent to retrieve the phone from it's resting place and took some tissues from the nightstand to clean himself up. He turned slightly with a smirk to see you standing, back pressed against the wall where he had left you, breath coming fast and heavy. Unsure how long your legs would keep you upright, you stumbled towards the bed, a box of paper sheets thrown over to you. Taking care of your own mess, you chucked the tissue in the bin and crawled up the mattress, head collapsing down onto the pillow as you watched him pressing buttons on his phone. Somehow, something had happened that you had never experienced before. Levi had certainly got you there, not once but three times. Grinning with a fatigued look on your face, you felt pride at being able to have done the same to him. After each release, neither of you had been able to stop. It was messy, though and you imagined the bed covers would need to be changed shortly.

The number that had called earlier was found and before dialling back, he glanced over at your exhausted body, eyes trailing down your soft skin as he thought about how amazing he felt when he was with you. Still smiling slightly with total satisfaction, he laid down next to you and hit the green button. Instantly, an annoyed voice came through, so loud you could hear it at first. "Levi you disgusting piece of shit, how could you do that?" You weren't able to stop yourself and a giggle escaped your lips as you saw the man next to you struggle to hold in his own laughter, the irate woman shouting out again.

"Don't laugh at me you fucking whore!" Suddenly he became stern and spat down the phone. 

"Watch your fucking mouth, Petra. You speak to her like that again and I'll tear out your shitty eyeballs. That's a promise." It sent shivers through you to hear him defending you, getting angry over someone making derogatory remarks. Of course, he could call you what he wanted to, but anyone else did it and the line was crossed. She seemed to calm down and you couldn't hear her side of the conversation anymore, your eyes beginning to close as the buzz of euphoria sending you into a light sleep. All you heard was a few grunted noises in acknowledgement and the call ended. A smack on your thigh brought you out of the short lived slumber and you glared over, about to argue until you noticed the look on his face. When he spoke, it was in dark tones.

"Kenny's gone missing."


	11. Changing Pace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the chapter dump today, hope to get this wrapped up soon!

Walking into one of the many offices that Kenny and his crew owned, you looked over at the woman who had been on the phone earlier. She had light hair and there was probably a sweet face under the anger, but the scowl you were being pinned down with meant her features were dark. Far enough away still, you murmured across to Levi. "She jealous or something?" A small snort met your query and he quietly responded. 

"Doubt it, (F/N). I've only actually met her in person once, but Kenny seems to think she's something special. I don't know what she fucking sees in him." Staring up, you saw him raise a brow which could mean only one thing and you felt a bit sick at the thought.

Snapping out of it, you reached Petra and smiled, a friendly gesture, however the emotion went no further than your lips. Snarling, she addressed you both. "You two are sick, you know that?" Holding back a laugh, you pressed your mouth tightly shut but you lost control at Levi's next words. 

"At least neither of us are fucking an old age pensioner." As your giggles reached her ears, Petra blushed but remained business like and moved the discussion on. 

"Enough of that. What are we going to do? I haven't seen him in days, all of his stuff is still here and he's left no messages. His money's remained static too." On the way over, Levi had explained that amongst other things, she was Kenny's accountant and probably the one who sent you the numbers that had, admittedly, ceased from him recently. Now it made sense why that one phone had been silent.

The man next to you shrugged and sighed, brushing down the arm of his jacket to remove some fluff. "I don't fucking know, just keep things ticking over?" Petra's face was a picture of disbelief and she laid into him harshly. 

"So you don't give a shit that your uncle's missing? Probably all to do with whoever's been following your little….whatever she is." A finger pointed at you with accusation and you stiffened. Preparing to let the others in on your take on all of this, you realised you had been caught up in all the possible players and not the mechanisms behind it all. It surprised even you as the words came out, thinking how it explained the strange life you were tangled in perfectly.

"Right. So, I just move money around. I can be replaced easily." Ignoring the slight shift in Levi's posture, you continued. "Whoever is following me, or telling people to follow me, don't you think it's part of something bigger? Why would I be even remotely special? It makes more sense that it's about the whole set up, not just me." It was quiet as everyone digested your explanation, until the low voice you were growing to like more and more each day spoke.

"It's like Armin. Respect. You move money, but you don't fucking rat anybody out or steal from them. It would be easy to send some phone numbers around, let everyone know exactly how much the other is making and from who, that kind of shit. But you don't. You just get on with it. And that, (F/N)," he said, looking at you with a strange expression. "That is why you can't be replaced easily. Trust takes time. With you out of the equation, someone else could take over and not be as discrete." His explanation was much more credible than yours, but it meant that this was, in all likelihood, because of you. Levi hadn't finished and with a scarily insightful air, he offered his final thoughts.

"Imagine if you told one person that the other, alias or not, had fucking paid to have one of their men killed? It wouldn't take long to find out who they all really are. The fact you give no shits about it all is what makes you unique and therefore either dangerous or desirable." You'd forgotten Petra was even here and looked up into his grey eyes with wonder. It was, albeit, a description of how useful you were at keeping criminals solvent without causing any fights, yet at the same time some of the words he chose interested you for some reason. That, and the slightly softer tinge to his gaze.

Your quiet reverie was broken by a small voice. "So what do we do?" Turning to the previously invisible woman, you struggled to see what could be done. If whoever that was responsible for this had Kenny, what hope was there for the rest of you? Unless he was really just as useless as you had suggested a few days ago. Levi answered, signalling the next part of the ever descending whirlpool that you eagerly allowed yourself to be dragged into. 

"We'll check around. Don't tell anyone else, we don't need every fucker crawling out the woodwork to take advantage." Petra nodded and you were led away, wondering what you would be doing later.

~~~~~~

It wasn't what you had expected to happen, but as dark approached, you found yourself in the apartment, lying on the sofa next to Levi as he devoured your mouth, the heated kiss adding to the other sensation. Your jeans had been loosened and he was slowly pushing two fingers in and out of you, curling them round to cause an intense pleasure to course through your veins. Using his thumb to rub circles on your clit, he sped up. Pulling his head back he saw the look on your beautiful face and combined with the way you bucked up against him told him you were close, so deliciously close. "Levi…." Your whisper sealed the deal, part of him wanting to feel you come on his hand but he stopped, standing up like nothing was going on, and wiped a tissue over his wet fingers. 

"Time to go, (F/N)."

Screeching with rage, you struggled to resist the urge to reach down and finish what he started, the throbbing begging to be sated. Something on your expression must have been readable and he growled over. "Don't even think about it. Dirty bitch." Pulling up your clothes, you tried to regain your composure and shouted across to where Levi now stood by the door. 

"You fucking prick. Since when were you such a shitty tease?" Hearing your clear frustration, he gave you a small smirk and tapped an imaginary watch on his wrist. 

"Time waits for no one." Coat on, you stormed over and shoved your feet in your boots, words delivered with furious strength. "Self satisfied dick, fucking idiot. I fucking hate you." You were pushed out the door and manhandled into the lift, seething with animosity. Ground floor reached, yet again you were marched out past an amused looking Mike who earned your glare that sent daggers into him.

Still fuming, you had no room in your mind to even think about how Levi had used your basic animal desires to illicit your rage. He, however, wondered how long he could keep provoking you into this persona, as surely there would come a time when it didn't work anymore. The temper that was ready to fly off the handle at sometimes seemingly inconsequential things might have to be brought to the surface in other ways. Reaching one of the offices, you found yourself in a relatively nice area, not one of the dirty back streets that you associated with this operation. It was a respectable looking building, but the entrance was round the side, tucked away from the main doors. Holding out a key, Levi stopped. The door was slightly ajar and he brought his knife from his pocket, quietly pushing inside.

You followed into the dark space, eyes wide and senses heightened as he moved slowly through the room, holding your hand in his free one. Sensing a movement, you jerked towards it and saw a figure coming close. Levi pressed himself in front of you, shielding the tempestuous woman that had managed to get inside of his head. A small thought crept in about how he should maybe do this alone, but it was sent away quickly. He felt safer if he could protect you, even if it ridiculously meant bringing you into the path of danger. The less time apart the better, as he only trusted himself with your care.

As the man came into view, both of you frowned. It wasn't anyone either of you recognised, but he could very well have been the dull, forgettable person that Krista had described. And therefore the one who collected Levi's gun under the assumed name of your boss. He smiled, a look that turned him almost vampiric in appearance, but he didn't speak, just kept walking towards you. In a flash, Levi was on him and the pair fought viciously, a blur of limbs and all you could do was watch as something flew across by your feet. It shone up and you had no hesitation in snatching it in your hand, heart beating faster than ever before in your life. The man must be strong for him to be holding his own against Levi, disarming him too and you began to stare closely, trying to see an opportune moment to step in and pass the blade across. No blows were landed on your pale companion, lover, whatever, but he got plenty in and yet still the stranger continued.

You saw a fist connect with a porcelain cheek and you were eclipsed by red, furious with this guy for everything that had already happened but more so for hitting your man. Levi wasn't fazed, but saw the stance of the woman to his left out the corner of his eye and made a move. Pushing hard, he sent his attacker back a few steps and you took your chance, rushing forward with a snarl. The shorter of the two had intended for the knife to be passed to him, so what happened next was totally unexpected. In a strong arc, you brought your arm round and sliced into the dull man's neck, catching him on the side of his exposed flesh. With wide eyes, he clasped at his throat as if it would stop the waterfall of crimson liquid from falling and he dropped to his knees.

Staring, you looked down intently as he collapsed to the floor, hands now by his sides and you listened to the raspy breaths he took with interest. Levi knelt beside him and leant over, voice low. "Who are you and what the fuck is this all about?" The man who lay in a puddle of blood just shook his head and drew his last, agonising breath. All was still for a moment until slowly, another picture was taken, flash illuminating the red pool beautifully. You felt the blade being taken from your strong grip and Levi wiped it off on the dead man's trousers before returning it to his pocket. He searched the body, finding only a phone with no messages or calls saved. He stashed it and turned to his own, arranging the clean up.

Relevant call made, he stood and saw how your eyes were glowing, face unreadable apart from your (e/c) orbs. As he took your hand, it was hard to drag you away, but his quiet voice filtered through your clouded mind. "We have to go, (F/N)." Backing out of the room, you allowed yourself to be led quickly off, eyes darting around in case anyone else lay in wait. The man knew you would go there first, as Levi had told you it was Kenny's most frequented office. Who knew if there were others involved? That was three people gone and the matter of the two who had been tasked with watching over you remained unsolved, as did the reason for getting one of the deceased a job at Hange's.

Walking back, Levi glanced over and took in your appearance. You hadn't spoken, however you seemed to be alive with something that made your lips stay parted slightly, almost in awe. It reminded him of something he had read once in one of his many books, a disposition that had various names and guises. It related to the feeling of enjoyment, excitement and strong desire associated with acts of crime and violence, even murder and he thought how a psychologist would have a field day with you. He didn't doubt for a second that this had all been his fault, awakening a variety of emotions in you by bringing you into his world, but selfishly he didn't care. It had resulted in such an intense relationship that seemed to move in a different direction every day,m and it aroused him to see how your hidden personality was blooming.

Back home, the only person here tonight was still Mike as he enjoyed the quiet nature of this posting, Monday being a rather chilled affair. He would be relieved of duty in an hour or so and looked up as two familiar faces approached. "What happened?" He knew where you'd been, as Levi had filled him in on Kenny's disappearance, trusting him enough to have him as an ally and as the couple got closer, he smelt something but not on the person he had been expecting it from. Mike stared across at your almost child like expression and raised his eyebrows, perplexed by the look on the woman's face. Levi beckoned to the blonde to follow and he complied, bringing his tablet with him to keep a close watch on the security camera feed.

As the lift raised itself with a languid pace, you felt the sensation running through your being. It was like adrenaline, but stronger and it combined itself with the distinct need to get hold of Levi. The only thing that stopped you was the almost trance like state you were in. If you had enough clarity, you'd have recognised it as shock, but it would be a while before it dominated you, the other feeling being much more powerful. Arriving at the apartment, you worked on auto pilot and pushed your leather boots off with your feet, hanging on to the man next to you for balance, not even noticing it was Mike and not Levi you grabbed hold of. Inside, you slumped to the sofa as pale hands took your coat off gently like he was assisting a drunk. The other occupant of the home pulled the large chair over from the desk and sat, tablet on the coffee table in clear view.

Levi grabbed three glasses and a bottle from the kitchen, delivering them swiftly to the seating area. Large drinks poured, he sat next to the woman who caused him so much intrigue and pressed a glass in your hand. With interest, Mike watched as his friend brushed (h/c) strands behind your ear and began to think this was more than just a quick fling, more than something to pass the time. In a gesture that was out of character, you laced the fingers of your free hand into Levi's and sighed as you laid your head sideways against his upper arm, sipping at the brown liquid. It surprised him as much as it made his heart leap and felt a clear change settle in over the two of you, the usually unloving nature both of you possessed being slowly chipped away.

Finally ready to explain, Levi spoke. "The guy who checked my gun out at Armin's was waiting for us, fucking knew we'd go there first." Gulping his own drink, he grimaced as it hit his throat and continued. "Wouldn't even tell me who he was or what the fuck was going on even when he was about to die." Mike took a mouthful before gesturing at the vacant woman pressed against his friend. 

"So she…?" He was met by a slow nod. He'd seen plenty of people take their first life, remembered his own, but he had never seen this kind of reaction before, the slight smile that sat on your lips as you stared out with hazy eyes. "What's going on?" He didn't care that you were in the room, you seemed oblivious. Levi shrugged and turned to lock eyes with the blonde man. 

"I have an idea, but it might be wrong. I'll tell you later."

Silence descended again and Mike spoke up after a few minutes. "Next move?" He was a clever and thoughtful man, never one to rush in headlong without a plan and he knew Levi was usually also one step ahead. He wasn't disappointed and listened to the man's words. 

"Hange. That first guy was planted in her shitty brothel and we need to find out why."

An hour later, the two of you were alone and you had begun to grow a bit more lucid. "Levi, did I do that?" You gazed down at the picture on his phone, the blood standing out in a majestic deep shade. The man whose hand you still gripped nodded and your eyes lit up again. He decided to push and asked you a bold question. 

"Did it turn you on?" Looking up, you met his steely stare and answered with your own query. 

"Is it fucking awful if it did?" A rare smile answered you, not a smirk or a small effort, a proper smile. 

"(F/N), don't worry about that. Each to their fucking own. Just don't go on some crazy killing spree, ok?" You laughed, feeling a bit less bizarre and placed your empty glass down. It was filled in seconds and passed back. Levi knew you needed it right now, feeling slightly nervous about the inevitable moment when your rush abated and the gravity of your actions kicked in.

~~~~~~

It happened around 2am on Tuesday morning. Both of you had fallen asleep quickly after long, energetic sex, your bodies spent and satisfied. Levi was pulled from the depths of a dream by hands grabbing at him and he sat bolt upright, head clearing quickly as he saw your face that was illuminated by a small light from the living room that he had kept on intentionally. Your eyes were wide and fearful as you clawed at him for some kind of sanity, words whispered but frantic. "Levi, I fucking killed someone, what the fuck? I'm going to prison, they're going to find me, how could I fucking do that?" Trying to prevent a total mental breakdown, he placed his hands on your cheeks and rubbed his thumbs across your skin, shushing and murmuring that it would be ok, it was alright, you had to do it, you had no choice.

You didn't cry, it wasn't a sorrowful feeling, it was a moment of abject fear combined with self hatred and shock and as your breathing pace increased, Levi felt helpless as he sat beside the now hyperventilating woman. In a move that suddenly came as natural to him as frowning, he placed his arms around your shaking body and held tight. Face against your neck, he felt how fast your pulse raced and traced soothing circles across your back as you hugged back ferociously. The closeness of the embrace was yet another pointer that signalled the shift in the relationship and with a sigh, he surrendered to it.

Once he'd calmed you enough to let go, he held you at arm's length and saw the same wild eyed expression, but at least your breaths had slowed. Climbing down, he found your vest top and a clean pair of knickers, thinking how you should really unpack your case. Helping you into the garments, he then selected a t-shirt and boxers from his drawers, and led you through to the living room. TV on for distraction, you were placed on the sofa and Levi went to make something that disgusted him in every way, but he knew it would help. You were passed a cup of sweet, milky tea, about half a ton of sugar stirred in and you sipped with lightly trembling hands.

When the drink was gone, the man who sat closely gave you another item and you looked down to see your tin in your hands. "Levi, am I a bad person?" A finger under your chin forced you to raise your head and link gazes with soft grey eyes, a look of concern on the usually stoic face that was before you. 

"No, (F/N). You're not. You want to see a bad fucking person, you just keep looking at me." There was that dark and almost doubtful voice and you could almost feel the fatigue that emanated from his troubled mind, the weariness of living such an immoral life. It was strange, sometimes he seemed to revel in it, but then these thoughts overcame him and turned it all round in an instant.

You supposed that you were just as bad. Last night had been a rush, a wonderfully odd sensation that aroused you as much as it fascinated you, yet at this precise moment in time, all you felt was guilt and regret. Before you could try to argue and tell him he wasn't a terrible person, Levi silenced your impending words with a gentle kiss. Sparks shot through your stomach and you immediately felt lifted. He pulled back and gazed into your eyes. "Don't try and say I'm not an awful human being. I know what I've fucking done. But it's ok." He softly stroked at your cheek, a slight smile on his face and you realised he had once again made his peace with who he was - maybe so could you.

Lying cuddled up, your head on his chest and arm loosely across his stomach, you stared over at the TV which Levi had adjusted on it's bracket so it faced the couch. Other than to do anything necessary, the two of you had remained like that for hours, just enjoying each other's bodies and the warmth and protection they gave. Sometimes you snoozed, catching up on lost sleep. He had sent a message to Mike earlier, making an unconscious decision to take control in his uncle's absence and told him to sort out anything that needed doing today as he would not be leaving you alone. The blonde man complied without complaint, carrying out the order from a deep respect rather than fear.

By late afternoon, you found yourself in a place of slight acceptance and smoked deeply on a joint as Levi fussed about in the kitchen behind you, concocting something to eat for you both. A knock sounded at the entrance and with a grumble at being interrupted mid flow, a flash of dark hair flew past to see who was bothering him. Looking through the tiny magnified hole in the wooden door, he confirmed it was safe and opened up. Mike appeared, looking his friend up and down, slightly amused at the fact he was walking around in his underwear, but said nothing as steely eyes dared him to be so stupid as to comment. As he entered, a few hushed words were shared and Levi moved back to his preparations, leaving the blonde to shuffle across to you with shoeless feet.

The large chair was still by the sofa where it had been placed last night and as he sat down, he involuntarily shifted his gaze over the woman that was relaxing on the leather cushions, taking in the lace panties, bare legs that were curled up and tight top that blatantly had no bra underneath. Slightly jealous at Levi's apparent luck, he dragged his thoughts from the gutter and spoke. "How you feeling, (F/N)?" Slowly, you turned to face him and shrugged, thick smoke coming from your lips. 

"Ok I guess, thank you Mike." He watched as you looked back round, staring into the distance and recalled what he had been told about you. Anti social, feisty, a tiny circle of people that you had grudgingly let in, apathy for most of the human race. With that in mind, he took no offence and went to join the man in the kitchen.

"So how is she really? I'm getting nothing out of her." Levi snorted and turned his attention to his cooking, making sure not to burn anything as he spoke back. 

"You probably won't. Took me over a fucking year to get to this point." Frowning, Mike leant over and watched as steak was expertly flipped on the griddle pan, care taken to keep it moving so as not to over do it. 

"A year? I thought you only properly met recently? All your stalking aside." Levi hadn't been concentrating when he had last opened his fucking stupid mouth and he silently cursed himself for the momentary lack of judgement. He wasn't about to divulge the unconventional way in which you had met and knew the man next to him wouldn't understand. As much as he respected Mike, a revelation about how a supposed dangerous criminal and murderer spent his free time playing a game online, flirting and seducing an invisible entity was not going to go down well. So he ducked it.

"It's a long, complicated story, one which I'm not going into. And it wasn't fucking stalking, I was protecting a member of staff." A laugh greeted his statement and ignoring it, Levi took the bread he had been warming in the grill and began to assemble the sandwiches carefully, grumbling to Mike. "I suppose you want fucking fed too?" A grin told him he would be catering for three and grudgingly he grabbed another plate.

~~~~~~

Levi had returned to business on Wednesday, confident that you were ok and had left a book he thought you might find interesting. To be honest, you hadn't even noticed the shelves in here, but it didn't surprise you to see so many volumes given some of the discussions you had online. The one he had selected lay open at the relevant page on the coffee table and your curiosity had taken hold, eyes scanning down the printed text. You read words such as sexual gratification, murder, violence, paraphilia, unusual tendencies.

Some of it made sense and some of it was way off the mark. It wasn't necessarily that you felt excited because of seeing or knowing what Levi was capable of, as this seemed to suggest. It was being in dangerous situations yourself, witnessing or participating in them. So in that respect, the book didn't seem to have a word for you. And that was fine, why pigeon hole yourself? One thing you did see was the author's take on this and it made you angry. Whoever wrote it seemed to think that women like this were hopeless groupies, obsessed with serial killers and the likes, intent on marrying incarcerated criminals they had never met. Fuck that. With a harsh swipe, you slammed the book shut and saw the title. Deviant Psychology.

You weren't annoyed at Levi, the gesture had been well meant, you were sure. It was the author who caused the bad taste in your mouth and you made a mental note to perhaps read into this more online, get a wider perspective. Not that you needed some kind of assurance or label to feel better about yourself, having come to terms with it somewhat, but it interested you. Pulling you from your thoughts, a buzzing noise sounded out and you grabbed your phone, not the pink one, your personal one. The name flashing up was not what you had expected, and you picked the call up with a nervous but also joyous feeling. "Hello?" It took a while for the voice to reply and when it did, it was quiet and uncertain.

"Hi (F/N). You ok?"

"Ok as can be, Mikasa. How are you?" Keeping it as uncomplicated as possible, you waited as she seemed to consider what to say next.

"Not great. I wanted to say sorry. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that (F/N), it wasn't fair." Not allowing you to respond, she carried on quickly. "And I want to explain a few things. Can we meet?" It was a difficult question to answer, as you weren't sure if it was something you could commit to, but you had to see her. Given that she was aware to some extent of your situation, you told the truth.

"I don't know, honestly. It's all a bit fucked up. I need to see what my options are. Do you get what I mean?" She did, thankfully and you arranged to call her back as soon as possible. Pulling the pink phone out, you sent a text to Levi, telling him you had to go out and briefly explaining why. He responded quickly, telling you that Mike would accompany you. Sulking slightly, you began to dial your currently estranged friend, but you realised why the other man had to come. Levi would be increasingly in demand as he had seamlessly adopted a position of higher authority, taking control without seeming to realise it and proving your words from the other day. Arranging a time and place with Mikasa, you placed the book away on the shelf and started to think about getting ready, annoyance creeping in over yet again having to socialise to some extent with a stranger, your protection detail unlikely to remain quiet on the journey.

~~~~~~

Mike walked silently next to you and glanced across at your stony face and the cigarette that you smoked. He wanted to chat though, find out more about this person who had apparently been in Levi's life for longer than he had thought. He was aware of how you'd entered this criminal circle, that you were at least physically involved with his colleague and had some information on your bitchy personality. But he was sure any kind of 'getting to know you' discussion would be wholly one sided and tried to remain quiet. It didn't last long and he found himself unable to contain it any longer. "So, (F/N)? Where are we going?" Without looking over, you replied coolly. 

"To see a friend." An answer was a start, and he pushed forwards. 

"Known each other long?" A nod was offered, but nothing else. Moving into more dangerous territory, he risked ending the small conversation.

"How do you know Levi?" A pair of angry eyes turned to glare up at him and he saw more than a hint of exasperation. 

"Fucking work, you dick. You know that." So, he wouldn't be getting any more from this avenue and he smiled. He'd find out one way or another eventually, it was a matter of principal now, but he kept his thoughts to himself as you approached a bar. Walking in, he changed his demeanour and went into work stance, scanning the occupants of the drinking establishment and setting himself up on a stool, keeping a watchful eye as you got closer to a dark haired woman.

"Mikasa? I…." You didn't know what to do, it felt awkward to give her a hug given what she told you the last time you met and you didn't want to over step the mark but she made the decision for you and brought you in close. It had only been a week since your falling out, a week that you had lived with Levi, yet it seemed like a lot longer and as you squeezed back, you realised how much you had missed her even in the short time apart. Feeling her soft embrace, your soul was lifted and you began to think it might all be ok. She drew back and sat you down, two glasses of wine already at the table and you listened quietly.

"I'm sorry, (F/N). I know I was stupid, but you understand me, I get carried away." Nodding, you let her continue, even though you wanted to tell her to stop saying sorry. "It's just I got so caught up in thinking about being with you, that I didn't pause to realise I already was. Friendship is all I want, nothing more." She grabbed your hand and held on tightly. "I can't have you out of my life." Matching her grip, you stared across. 

"Don't apologise for that Mikasa, I should be the one saying sorry. I've behaved like an idiot, let my own sense of fun fuck with you. And I can't even begin to tell you how much I regret that." Her smile was genuine and she assured you it was ok. 

"This week has let me see I've been clinging onto something I don't want. No offence, but you're a bit too fucking dark for me, (F/N). I'll just stay on the sidelines, thanks." Her devilish tone and grin that spread across her face made you smile as she shrugged and defended her actions and last words. "It's not my fault. It's a condition." Laughing now, you realised fully that she had a filthy love of watching, something that had manifested in the house share years ago and you didn't hold a grudge.

Sipping at your drinks, she spoke again but in a more serious tone. "I want to know all about that guy, by the way. But I need to ask you something. I need help." Looking over intently, you wondered what might be wrong and saw the strain on her face that now shone through as she explained. "Annie's in trouble and I don't know what to do. I would do anything for her, but I can't manage this." You supposed you might be in a position to know people who could help in any situation, but it still filled you with apprehension as you waited for her to explain.


	12. Friends And Family

Your friend's words rang in your ears and you took a large gulp of wine, realisation kicking in that you had been right, it was who you had thought. Annie was a prostitute and worked at Hange's brothel. She was the blonde you had seen during your visit that you had recognised and you looked over at Mikasa to tell her to continue, trying not to show that you weren't receiving new information.

"She wants to get out (F/N), so badly, but how do you leave that kind of place? Annie's stuck, no way to escape." The woman opposite you took her own drink and spoke quietly with a hint of remorse. "I know this sounds like I'm using you and I promise on your life that I'm not, but could you help?" It was undoubtedly convenient timing, however you thought nothing of it. She was your friend, plain and simple and you started to think. You had to go back to that place soon anyway, but how did you get someone out of that profession? Nodding, you held Mikasa's gaze. 

"Ok, I can't promise anything, but I'll do what I can? Although I don't know what I could even fucking do, but I can get a second opinion?" She smiled faintly back at you, gratitude in her eyes. 

"Thank you, (F/N). I don't know how I would ever repay you."

Waving her words away, you drained your glass and warned her. "I haven't done anything yet, don't get too excited. Might all fuck up. But I swear I'll try. For you." She nodded once, understanding. You chatted a bit longer, listening to how sick it made her girlfriend to be selling herself daily to men that disgusted her and how wretched your friend felt at not being able to do anything. She had mentioned you to Annie, but not in any great detail and the conversation moved on.

You'd bought more drinks and noticed Mike had his own on the go, seemingly not bothered by your lengthy visit and Mikasa turned to that very subject. "Where's your friend? Got a new one already?" Laughing, you leant in. 

"No fucking way, not on your life. Levi's far too interesting to let go." She gave you a knowing look, and patted your hand at the way your eyes lit up. 

"Just make sure he's not just being a bastard. You know what men are like." Shaking your head, you smiled. 

"This is different. Trust me." Taking that as a sufficient answer, she grinned and you talked a while longer before she had to get back to work, exchanging a hug as the three of you stood out on the street. "I'll call!" you shouted, waving her off.

On the way back, your bodyguard for the trip tried to strike up a conversation again. "So you are capable of playing nice, then?" Glaring up at him, you rolled your eyes. 

"I'm not all asshole, Mike. Just mostly." His laughter made you smirk slightly, still annoyed at his incessant attempts to chat, but slowly allowing his presence.

~~~~~~

Levi listened to your story of the recent meeting, finger tracing a circle on your bare stomach as you lay naked together on the bed. It tickled a bit, but you were enjoying the act of care, something you hadn't ever accepted from anyone before. As it had started off with him as well, in the past you usually just got up after sex and continued with life, but not now. The rules were changing and you let yourself be swept along with the wave of emotions without fighting it one bit. Levi didn't know what he was doing, only that he needed to touch you, had to keep up the contact as his own being was caught up in the ever increasing flow of unknown feelings.

He thought about your friend's predicament and looked over as you turned on your side to meet his gaze, meaning his hand now rested on your hip. "What the fuck can I do, Levi?" He watched your frown grow and stroked your soft skin to soothe the worry away as he spoke. 

"Well, we've got to see that fucking woman anyway. I don't want to go down the route of just grabbing the girl and fucking running, though." You laughed lightly at the idea, however part of you wondered if that was the best way after all. Probably not, she'd be found no doubt. Sighing, you rubbed your head. 

"How much would Hange charge to let her go?" He slapped his hand against your thigh, mischief in his eyes. 

"And how the fuck would I know that, (F/N)?" Shrugging, you stared over. 

"We could ask?" It was an option and you made the agreement to go down there with your previous mission in mind then just see what happened.

Later that evening, after a few beers and a sufficient amount of weed, you found yourselves back at the brothel. Levi hadn't felt the need to provoke you today as he had a strong belief that you were now in a place where whatever you needed to do or feel would manifest if required. He had no concrete evidence to base it on, but as he watched you stride down the red corridors, he noted the small, wicked smile on your face that told him you were enjoying yourself. Barging in to the office, you heard the same noises from the computer on the desk which were instantly hushed, the woman leaning forward quickly to sit right up against her desk. Levi smirked down at her as he closed the door, shaking his head. "If you're that fucking desperate, why not get back out there yourself? Experience it first hand, so to speak?" Hange wasn't bothered by the situation in the least and smiled up with childish glee.

"Oh I'm too old for that now, this is much more entertaining." Shifting herself, she got comfortable, still hunched as she spoke again. "What can I do for you today, shorty? Your girlfriend change her mind?" It was your turn to talk, snarling down at her vehemently. 

"Not in a million fucking years." Hange's eyes lit up, and she bounced in her seat. 

"Ooh you're just too cute! Use some of that attitude, get involved. You know you want to." Levi cut in and put an end to the conversation, bringing it back to business swiftly. 

"Quit it, Hange. Why would someone want to get that piece of shit security guard to work for you?"

The older woman remembered who the man before her was talking about and had actually done her own digging since her visitors had last been here, excitedly delivering her information. "Turns out, he was quite the computer whizz. Hacked my software. I had someone come in and take a look." She paused for effect, ignoring the two sets of eyes burning into her skull. "He was able to access something that helped connect him to CCTV in other buildings. Ones that had been installed by the same company." Levi placed his hands on her desk and leant over, voice dark and growling. 

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me this before?" Shrugging, she looked up innocently. 

"I like your little visits. I get lonely."

Losing patience, he stood up straight, knowing that this old whore wouldn't be intimidated into doing or telling him anything, she was far too crazy for that. Moving on, he asked a different kind of question. "What other buildings?" Finally, she lifted her hands and leafed through some papers, tossing a folder over the desk in response. The look of disgust on Levi's face was evident, lip curling at the thought of what had just touched the thin card covers and you picked it up instead, folding it into your coat pocket. It brought you on to the next matter and the man next to you spoke up. "One of your girls. How much."

Wide eyes and another grin met his query and she winked, making him feel slightly sick to the stomach. "Levi, are you telling me this one's not doing it for you anymore?" Poking a no doubt dirty finger at you, she wiggled her eyebrows and you smiled back with no humour. 

"Just answer the fucking question." Hange was slightly taken aback at your tone and the look of murder in your eyes, but the man by your side was enthralled, loving how you had indeed proved him right, able to channel your darker personality when required. Shaking it off, the seated woman stared up, and started to make her offer. 

"I don't want money, but I am getting bored of the same old shit." Sitting back, she crossed her arms and remained emotionless. "You want one of them? Fine. On one condition. What you were up to last time you were here? Do it again. I want to see her come."

Laughter spilled from your lips, total disbelief at what had just been asked making you find the whole thing terribly amusing. Levi tutted and hissed over the desk. "Fuck off, dirty whore." She raised her hands, showing you it was no joke. 

"Seriously. It's all I can think about. I never get to see an honest orgasm anymore, it's all faked. Take it or leave it." Shaking your head, laughs still hiccuping from within, you voiced what you presumed was the last thought on the matter. 

"I am nowhere near drunk enough for that kind of shit." Before you could turn to leave, Hange had a solution, bringing out a large full bottle of vodka from a brimming liquor cabinet. 

"Sorted. I'll be back in twenty minutes. Think about it." Standing, she winked again on her way past and you scowled with pure fury.

Looking over at Levi, you were further enraged as you saw his face, eyelids half shut and a smarmy smile on his lips. Pointing incredulously, you shouted over at him, voice probably not carrying far due to the loud music. "You've got to be fucking kidding me?" Tilting his head, he stepped closer, placing his hands on your hips and pulling you in. 

"Why not? Nearly did it before. Saves us having to break that girl out and make another fucking enemy." His lips took yours and at first you couldn't stop, but managed to control yourself and push him away. 

"You can't be fucking serious, Levi?" Even as you said it, you discovered there was no longer any feeling behind your words, the sensation of his hands on you and the buzz of his kiss mixing with the realisation that there were worse things you could do. Like kill, for example.

That thought now firmly in your mind, the strange excitement from before started to rise, ridiculous situation that was the present causing further shockwaves regardless of how fucking perverted it was. You never had to see Hange again, you had what you needed and your friend would be ecstatic. That and the fact that a few people had even seen you have full on sex before made you become more open to the idea. Levi sensed your growing acceptance and started to unbutton your coat, feeling totally caught up in the whole thing himself without understanding fully why. It was mainly down to the desire to feel you, make you happy with his touch, but also the dark and debauched side of him begged to be let out again.

"I meant it, Levi. Not drunk enough in the fucking slightest." Picking you up, he placed you on the desk, back where you had been before and stood closely between your legs. Head raised, he checked to make sure there were no cameras in here, at least visible ones and studied the cap of the bottle to ensure it was intact. Satisfied with both, he twisted the drink open and took his own deep swig first, clear liquid sliding down to mix with the beer and bourbon that already ran through him. Passing it over, he watched with lust as you chugged back on it, eyes never breaking contact. Smirking, he rubbed his hands up and down your thighs as he purred in your ear, breath making you shiver. 

"You're such a shameless little slut, (F/N). But you're my fucking slut." The words of possession sent you crazy, but you stayed calm, taking in more vodka hungrily, ready to throw your dwindling self respect to the wind in an act that was quickly becoming nothing but a moment between the two of you.

You had no idea how much time had passed, but Levi's nibbles at your neck were driving you to the edge and taking one last long drink, you handed the bottle to him for his final turn. He dropped it to the floor, not giving a shit that the small amount of remaining alcohol was pouring out and he quickly took your mouth with his, deep kiss eliciting moans from his woman. With searching hands, you grabbed hold of each other and while you were still alone, he raised your top and slipped under your bra, fingers pinching at your nipple strongly, causing you to twitch forward.

Slipping down, he deftly dealt with your button and zip, loosening your jeans enough to gain entry but not so far so that the woman who would return soon could see any of you. Breaking apart, he gazed into your eyes, waiting for permission and you nodded once, your body hidden behind his as he slid a hand down inside your clothes. With slow, circular movements, he rubbed against you and you swore loudly, craving his touch. Lips were connected again, tongues stroking together and Levi reached further down, finding you so desirably wet already. Two fingers entered you and he expertly angled himself, causing immense pleasure and you felt like you were losing your mind.

Moving against him, you were only vaguely aware of the door opening and closing, totally entrenched in nothing but the man who was giving you so much enjoyment. No one approached, but even if they had you wouldn't have noticed as you felt lips trail down your jaw, back to your neck. Finally, as Levi moved his head, a fuzzy figure was visible by the door, but by this point there was no coherent thoughts left in your mind, just the insane desire and need to be brought to your peak. Thumb now circling your sensitive area also, he increased his pace as you held onto him tightly, the feeling of his whispered words on your skin that only you could hear. "I want to feel you come, (F/N). Be a good bitch and let it go. Fucking come for me."

As always, his words never ceased to add to the passion and you felt right on the edge of orgasm. Head back, you closed your eyes and started to become unhinged, panting and groaning from parted lips. "Fuck Levi, that's it, don't stop…" He did quite the opposite and as you rolled your hips, he upped his speed, biting at your ear lobe. In a moment of total abandonment, you cried out his name and gasped, a noise that turned into a low moan of complete satisfaction as you shook with electricity. Leaning down, you placed your head on his shoulder and he slowly withdrew his hand, wiping it unceremoniously on your stomach before fixing your jeans. Struggling to breathe, you were finally spoken to.

"Well I'm glad I got back quicker than I'd said. Phew. That was well fucking worth it. Who do you want?" As you were lifted down, you felt weak and stayed pressed to Levi as you replied in between pants. 

"Annie." Instantly, she complied. 

"Ok, follow me." Almost skipping down the hall, she reached the relevant door and threw it open, not caring that there was a client in there. You rushed along, face expressionless, not wanting to show anything other than disregard at the whole situation, only betrayed by your pink cheeks that were caused a combination of sexual activity and alcohol. You'd probably downed nearly three quarters of the large bottle in a short space of time and felt distinctly blurred.

Words were spoken inside the room and shortly a blonde woman scurried out with arms full of stuff, clothing thrown on without care. Hange assured the frustrated man he would be taken care of soon and escorted the three of you from the building. At the closed main entrance, she smiled and addressed your new companion. "These lovely people will be looking after you now. Fuck knows what they want, but they seem like a shit load of fun." Turning to you, she stroked your cheek and you held back the desire to bite her hand. "It's been special. You're always welcome here." With a slight shift, she looked down at Levi. "Keep doing what you're doing, short stuff. Come see me if you get bored." Leaving him with a sneer on his face, she bounced away and you left quickly, cold air hitting you mercifully.

Levi made a call and you faced your friend's lover, who looked totally confused. "I'm (F/N). Mikasa's friend. She said you wanted out, so you're out." Wide eyes met yours, and she smiled faintly, breathing one word. 

"How?" Shaking your mildly dizzy head, you gave her a smile back. 

"Don't ask." An arm appeared around your waist, helping you remain steady and he squeezed tightly, pulling you close and growling in your ear. 

"You owe me." It was the truth, you'd gotten yours and it was only fair that you reciprocated in some way later.

Not before long, a familiar, massive black car arrived and you bundled into Reiner's ride. Levi had already told him where to go and you rested your head back and listened to their conversation. "Taking in a little night life, eh?" asked the gym owner, words delivered with amusement. Sighing, the short man responded, deadpan. 

"Not me, Braun. (F/N) had fucking fun though." A pair of eyes looked at you quizzically through the rear view mirror and you grinned, completely uncaring right now. Laughter sounded out from the driver and the car pulled up outside Mikasa's place. Thanking Reiner, you helped Annie with some of her things and the men once again held a short chat inside the vehicle.

Once Levi was out, the blonde woman opened the main door and you made your way up. Annie unlocked the apartment and a shape flew across into her arms, kisses placed on her lips, tight hugs shared. As Mikasa saw you, she rushed to give you your share of the embrace, but kept it friendly. "Thank you. Thank you so much (F/N)." Smiling, you squeezed back and murmured into her hair. 

"My pleasure." The man huffed with a small laugh, your words not lost on him. He was met by a frown from the raven haired woman, which quickly turned to a nod of thanks.

~~~~~~

After you had left your friend's house, leaving the two lovers to enjoy their new found freedom, the long walk home had helped to clear your mind. The folder you'd obtained from Hange contained a list of the other places that had cameras installed by the same company and shining out were the names of your apartment building and Smith's Coffee Shop. Unable to deal with the information correctly at the time, you had instead set about paying Levi back for the pleasure he had inflicted on you earlier that night.

Two weeks had passed since that day and you felt absolutely no embarrassment for your actions in the slightest, in fact you'd forgotten all about it. The list had been looked over in detail, but none of the other premises were familiar to you. All it did was solidify the already known detail that you had been watched. With all three of the men dead, you might have believed it was over, apart from two glaring issues; Kenny was still AWOL and you had learnt nothing of the men who were supposed to have been keeping an eye on you. Fact finding missions had been carried out, but to no avail and it seemed to be getting pointless.

Day to day, Levi would take you out with him more often, bringing you along to meetings and paying visits to smaller fry in the world of crime who perhaps needed some incentive to pay what was owed, or chastised for making the wrong move. Whilst it was better than sitting indoors every day and there had been a few fights, it still bored you for the most part. You'd met up with Mikasa and Annie, with Mike in tow and the two girls were currently on a well deserved holiday. Your usual body guard had continued to try and chip away at you, get more personal information, but you generally remained tight lipped. Eren had been quiet and you presumed he was still in turmoil over which man to be with; to be honest, you were glad to be kept out of his fucking love life.

Your relationship with Levi grew every day, the emotional sides of you both coming out more and more. Not to say that you were now a couple who went on dates or sat staring lovingly into each other's eyes, far from it. Regularly you squabbled, shouted heated and offensive words and names and he still had the annoying ability to make you chase around everywhere after him. But the care you showed one another was becoming evident, enjoying the closeness along with the rough, physical element that was inherent in the two of you.

It was a dank, grey Thursday morning and you carefully delivered mugs of coffee and tea to the sofa, making sure not to spill a drop on the pristine floorboards. Gently placing them on the coasters, you sat down and glanced across to Levi. He sat forward, arms resting across his legs and his wrists slack. His head was bowed and hair spilled in strands of black around his cheeks, looking deep in thought. "Penny for them?" Your words roused him from his daydream and as he lifted his gaze to meet yours, it shocked you. He'd gotten up early and for the first time you saw something that was extremely worrying. The ever present dark circles under his eyes were deeper, blacker and his grey eyes held nothing but a harsh expression. With concern, you placed a hand on his arm, staring into the face that embodied emotional pain. When he spoke, it was with fatigue and miserable longing.

"Let's just leave. Fucking pack up and go. What's here for us now?" He was ready to give up, thoroughly disenfranchised with life, despising the daily stream of idiocy and going through the motions of keeping his uncle's shitty organisation afloat. The only thing that mattered right now was the woman beside him, sitting looking across with care and the will to protect and as much as he hated appearing weak, Levi knew you were the one person who he could show this side to. Continuing, he sighed and uttered his next words. "Why aren't we allowed a proper life, (F/N)? Be together without all of this fucking mess?" He threw his hands up in defeat, surrendering to the black mood that encompassed his being.

Sliding over, you gathered your man into gentle arms, holding on tightly to try and soothe his aching heart. Not moving, you whispered in his ear. "I go where you go." Feeling him squeeze back, you closed your eyes and breathed in the smell of his shower gel, blocking out everything but him, almost sending yourself into a trance. Finally, he leant back and took your hands in his, tracing nonsense shapes across your skin with his thumbs, wondering how he had been so damn lucky to deserve to have someone like you. In all probability, he wasn't due any happiness, how could he be after all he had done? Taking a deep breath, he began to tell you how he wound up in the seedy life of crime.

Growing up in an orphanage had been tough and being one of the smallest children, he had to learn quickly to stick up for himself and fight, sometimes for his life. Just before his tenth birthday, a man had shown up, someone he didn't recognise, but being that no one wanted to foster a child with a distinctly violent streak, it seemed like his best option. He had been taken in by a family for a few weeks, but they had returned him like a piece of clothing that didn't fit quite right. That, and the fact that the man claimed to be Levi's uncle, his only surviving relative, made him happy to leave. So he let himself be taken away, the relevant paperwork such as birth certificates provided to the orphanage staff to prove blood ties and he began his path into illegal activities.

Starting off with pick pocketing, he moved onto brawling for money when he was old enough, all the while learning from Kenny and making a name for himself amongst those who counted. It came to be the only way he knew how to live and appeared to everyone around to be a loyal, right hand man to his uncle. But it was taking it's toll, eating away at him.

Once he had finished, he met (e/c) eyes that were narrowed with empathy. Not pity, just a clear sign that this woman was there for him and he let out a small, humour-free laugh. "I know I'm a fucking hypocrite (F/N), on two counts. One, if it's so bad, why did I fucking let you get so involved?" He didn't allow you to answer. "And two, a lot of the time I fucking enjoy it. The power, the look of fear in someone's shitty eyes. It's addictive." Nodding, you knew what he meant and listened as he carried on. "Don't get me wrong, I don't want the white picket fence, dog in the garden, kids hanging off my legs. I just need a fucking rest." The last words were delivered with such exhaustion and you wished you had all the answers to bring him back into happiness.

Grabbing his hand again, you started to speak, but your mouth remained quiet as a strange noise rang through the apartment. Frowning, you saw Levi's similar confusion and the two of you stood, hunting for the source of the vibrant tune. At first you thought it might be one of your burner phones, not thinking clearly enough to realise it wasn't the tone you had set and you checked your laptop bag first, finding nothing. The search led you to the desk, more specifically the top drawer. Inside lay the device that had been retrieved from the body of the man you had killed, screen lit up as an unknown number flashed cheerfully. With growing unease, Levi picked it up and answered on speaker.

At first there was nothing, a slight scraping noise that sounded far away and then a faint, timid voice came through, chilling you to the core. "(F/N)?" Recognising the childish whisper, your eyes widened and you mouthed to the man by your side, causing his already dark expression to turn as black as night and he motioned for you to answer. Trying to sound steady as a rock, you replied. 

"Eren?" There was a crash and a scream and it took all your power not to join in with your brother's obvious pain. Strong hands held you steady and you felt dizzy, the world blurred in a sea of morbid thoughts and disbelief. Anger sat deep within you, but it wasn't allowed to the surface, being overtaken by your other emotions and an unfamiliar male voice spoke.

It was distorted, like through a plastic mask, muffled and unclear. "Two days, (F/N). Two days to follow my instructions or your fag of a brother's going to die. Slowly." The call was ended and almost instantly, you saw a text come through. You weren't capable of reading it, eyes clouded and unfocused, so Levi relayed the electronic words. 

"Transfer one million to this account in forty eight hours." Bank details followed and without warning, you collapsed to the floor, legs no longer able to hold your weight. You were vaguely aware of hands lifting you and placing you carefully in the chair by the desk and Levi's dark growling voice on his phone. What seemed like hours passed, but in reality it was less than a minute and a knock pounded at the door.

Trying to clear the fog from your brain, you noticed Mike enter the apartment and saw the two men holding a quiet, stern conversation. Mind racing, you desperately clutched at reality and began to think. Why disguise your voice unless you were identifiable? So, the caller must be known to you or Levi. Also, this was a step up, moving on from just you to your family, taking a sinister leap into a more serious territory. But where did you even start? You became aware that bodies were near and looked up to meet grey eyes that didn't seem as tired as they had been before the call and noted Levi's stance. He was ready to fight, for you and your brother and you blinked once in a silent acknowledgement of gratitude. Gazing across to Mike, your stare widened and an idea began to form. In his hand was the tablet he carried, clear boxes displaying pictures. CCTV pictures.

Shooting up, you shouted as you ran to get dressed, not even planning on bothering with a shower. "We need to go to the cafe." Confused glances were shared between the men and a stern voice reached you as you grabbed at clothing from the drawers.

"Wash your fucking self first, (F/N). Five minutes isn't going to make any difference and I'm not walking around with a dirty fucking bitch all day." True, the time wouldn't matter and you ripped your pyjamas off with a grumble, thoughts of your brother making you not realise what you were doing. Striding to the bathroom, you snarled loudly without looking. 

"Fucking idiot, you need to sort your priorities. Try looking in your shitty psychology book about OCD sometime." Despite your anger, you still pandered to his request, being sympathetic at least in your actions to his needs.

The sound of water sprang from the shower and Levi fixed his friend in place with a bored gaze. "She seriously has no boundaries." Mike's slightly red face grinned back, the image of your naked, furious form still emblazoned on his retinas. Once you were done, sufficiently soaped and scrubbed, it was only a matter of seven minutes and you were both ready to go, even if your hair was still wet.

The coffee shop was busy, but no customers queued right now and two friendly faces smiled over as they saw you sweep in, expressions dropping when they took note of your worried but determined features. What also made them concerned was the two stony men that followed side by side in your wake and as you reached the counter, a few folded pieces of paper were visible in your coat pocket. Not sure what was going on, they stayed quiet and you spoke in urgent whispers. "When did you last see Eren?" Jean answered, presuming you were addressing only him. 

"This morning before I left at 8. He's at mine messing about online." Erwin shot you a glance that told you all at once that he was still seeing your brother, but not last night.

Your old colleagues watched as a blonde man and the familiar shorter one flanked you, both of their stares ready to kill and you asked another question. "What's your building called?" Still confused, the official boyfriend of your sibling replied weakly and he saw you snatch the paper from your pocket, unfolding it violently. Eyes scanning quickly, you found the name Jean had given you on the list and realised that hacking Hange's systems had meant that more than just watching you.


	13. Safety

Jean and Erwin had been warned to keep a watchful eye and stay safe, also ordered to let you know if they heard from Eren. No real details had been offered, just that he was in trouble and you were trying to sort it. Back outside, you lit a much needed cigarette and stared down the street as you had done so many times in the past whilst on a break, the cogs in your brain clicking round. Breathing in deeply, you let the others into your train of thought, presuming they already knew what you were going to say. Their silence lifted you slightly, the fact that they were allowing you to feel in control making your mood a tiny bit less dark.

"Levi or me must know whoever fucking called, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered to hide their voice. And they knew we had that phone." Taking another drag, you shook your head as an evil sneer crossed your face. "Fucker has to pay. This has gone too far." The dark haired man by your side felt his stomach jump in admiration and devilish excitement. Over the past two weeks it had been rather dull and even if it was at the expense of your brother, the woman with fire in her belly was once more alive with danger in front of him. His eyes flashed and any thoughts of running away from this life had been yet again dampened by the flood of desire as almost maniacal glee ran through him as he made a suggestion, knowing what you were thinking.

"I know someone who might be able to get into the CCTV. But you're not going to fucking like it, (F/N)." Turning, you glared over and hissed your words. 

"I don't give a shit who it is, Levi. I'm not lacking in people I dislike, so just fucking tell me." Smugness radiated from him, name given. 

"Krista." As much as you wanted to rip her to pieces, if there was even a slight chance she could help, you were going to take it. Mike's smile invaded your peripheral vision and you slowly graced him with a scowl as he spoke. 

"Not a fan, (F/N)?" Taking a step towards the blonde, you stared up and pointed as you spat a response. 

"No, Mike, not a fucking fan of stupid bitches who kick me for no reason." Storming off, you heard a laugh and the man's joyful take on your mood. 

"Oh, Levi, this is going to be fun." An arm was draped casually around your shoulders and you were turned back the way you came, a silky voice in your ear. 

"As much as I enjoy watching you walk away (F/N), at least do it in the right fucking direction." The task at hand meant that you held onto any desire to punch both of the men you were with and allowed yourself to be led down streets towards Armin's shop, Levi's limb still gently resting on you like you were going for a stroll.

Entering the book store in a more civilised manner than before, you saw the small owner look over and watched as he visibly slumped. Another face appeared from behind the counter, eyes narrowing as they caught sight of you and a fake smile spread across your features, kill with kindness you thought. It made Krista grimace and your grin increased as Levi watched with pleasure as your sinister nature spilled out once more. 

"Y-you find that guy?" stuttered Armin and he shrank back involuntarily as the three people reached where he sat on a high stool. An image was shown to his co-worker and he saw a flash of blood on the screen, stomach turning as the woman next to him spoke with a slightly scared voice. 

"Yea that was the one who said he was Kenny. Did you have to show me the whole picture? I don't need to see your handiwork, Levi."

Face screwed up in disgust, she pushed the phone away as the dark haired criminal replied. "That wasn't fucking mine, Krista. Thank (F/N) for the mess, credit where it's due." Her gaze met yours and in an instant you felt the shift in status, knowing finally what it was like to be feared - you enjoyed the look in her wide eyes. Not wanting to leave this moment behind, you maintained your stare, heart racing with the power trip. No one spoke and Mike observed the couple in front of him as Levi placed a hand on the small of his woman's back, seemingly not realising he was in the company of others, or maybe it was just that he didn't care. The two of them smelt like violence and passion and one other thing that made his own smile appear. Finally, the large blonde man spoke, knowing the others were blinded by what ran through their beings.

"Krista? Can you still access CCTV?" Snapping her head round, the small woman glared up with annoyance. 

"Of course I can, Mike. Why?" Levi was back in the land of the living, it seemed and he answered next. 

"Why the fuck do you think?" A scowl met his rhetorical question, but a laptop was pulled from behind the counter. Bringing up the relevant details, she enquired as to which location was required. Given the name of Jean's building, she nodded and typed quickly, turning the screen to show you a live feed. 

"We need anything from 8am onwards." With a huff at your order, she carried out the command anyway, knowing that Levi was not to be crossed, nor was the woman that he had brought along again, it appeared.

Watching closely, you saw the clear images, one showing the entrance, another the foyer. It seemed there were only two cameras at the place, less than were present at yours but surely it would be sufficient. Sure enough, at 8.47 a car pulled up by the kerb and two figures walked out, dark hoodies covering their hair and faces as they pushed in through the unlocked main door. Flicking your eyes to the interior view, they reached the lifts and calmly waited for their ride. Once they had gone, Krista pressed a button to fast forward six minutes, stopping at the moment the lift door began to open again. With seething animosity, you clenched your fists as you saw your brother being dragged out, kicking and flailing. The men were large and had no trouble overpowering his smaller form and as you switched to the outside camera, he was bundled into the back of the car before it drove away.

The video stopped. No one moved for a moment. The vehicle had no license plate, no distinguishing features, just a standard, dark car that you saw hundreds of in the city. But Levi had noticed something and without hesitation, he grabbed your hand and led you quickly out, leaving Mike to offer thanks on behalf of the group. Catching up, he looked down and asked what was going on. Still moving quickly, the shorter man replied. "I know that car. It was the one that I ordered to watch (F/N)'s fucking building. And I think I know a good place to hold someone hostage." Mike nodded and you hurried along by Levi's side, ready to smash the faces in of those responsible for Eren's abduction.

After a silent, twenty minute journey, Levi didn't slow as he raised a leg and kicked the door of a back alley building down, sending the wooden entrance flying inwards with a smash. Knife in hand, he prowled in and you noticed the blonde had a gun. Feeling at a distinct disadvantage weapon wise, you instead began to cast your eyes around the space, looking and listening intently for anything that would alert you to the men or your brother. It was quiet apart from three sets of feet and you stopped. The others followed suit and you glanced across the contents of the room, seeing a set of car keys on a desk and two take-away coffee cups. Moving towards them, you felt the cardboard and how it was still hot. Locking gazes with Levi, you nodded and he switched his grasp on his blade, holding it better to provide more force if required.

You all approached the other door in here and after a short pause, it was offered the same fate as the main entrance. Inside was a filing cabinet and a metal safe, along with a cheap looking rug on the floor. It caught your attention as being completely out of place and with your foot, you moved it to one side to reveal a small trap door. Signals were shared between the two males and Levi bent to curl his hand around the carelessly unlocked metal handle. With a last glance, the opening was flung upwards and Mike pointed his gun down into the dark. Holding your breath, you waited as the three of you made no movement, the muffled sound of gagged cries coming from below. Biting your tongue to stop from calling out, you pulled out your phone and switched on the flash light app, handing it to the man still crouched on the floor.

Shining it into the basement, Levi was graced with a nod from his friend and watched as Mike made his way carefully down the wooden steps, lit all the way by the man that followed closely behind. Before you could join them, a pair of serious steel eyes met yours, silently telling you to stay here. A flick of the grey orbs to the main door advised you to keep watch and grudgingly you complied, senses heightened and on edge as you made sure you weren't going to be ambushed.

It seemed like days passed by and you waited with impatient nerves, a few whispers and noises coming from below. Just as you were about to explode with anticipation, feet began to sound out on the wood staircase and the sight of Levi helping your bloodied brother out of his temporary prison came into your line of vision. In a flash, you took Eren from your lover, praising whatever kind of fucking deity that might exist that he was ok. Hugging him close, you waited for the other two to leave first, using them as protection and you instinctively grabbed the keys from the table.

Out in the daylight, still silent, you followed behind Mike as Levi took up the rear, making your way further down the street until you reached where the dark vehicle had been parked. With a steady hand, you unlocked the car and carefully got your brother in before jumping inside next to him, watching as the shorter man took up position behind the wheel. Passing the keys over, he placed them in the ignition and the engine sprang into life as Mike sat in the passenger seat and spoke. "Belts." On his orders, you secured yours and helped Eren with his, wondering what kind of driver Levi was with a bit of trepidation.

The powerful sound of revving filled your ears and with a squeal of tyres, you flew along the small road towards the main streets. Grey eyes widened in the rear view mirror and an urgent one worded command sounded out from the man in control of the vehicle. "Duck." Glass shattered, raining down like hail stones as you threw your body over that of your brother's out of instinct and with another screeching noise, you felt the car slide sideways. Glancing up, you saw the world moving in the wrong direction and flinched as a large bus nearly slammed into you, horn blaring to tell the smaller vehicle how annoyed it was at the dangerous manoeuvre. Brakes were pressed, wheel turned swiftly and once more you were travelling forwards, speeding down the relatively quiet street.

Bumps in the road were ignored and the suspension of the stolen ride protested, throwing you around without care. A few turns were made at break neck speed, one sending your already sore body up against the inside door handle and causing a flash of pain in your ribs, but the urgency of the situation demanded this kind of fast driving. After around ten minutes of jarring movements, the journey came to an end in an underground car park, the echo of rubber on the concrete floors piercing through as Levi drove to the lowest and almost empty floor. The two in the front jumped out and you saw the trunk pop as Mike helped Eren out. Sitting for a moment to calm the motion sickness that bobbed as a lump in your throat, you composed yourself and exited the car.

Finding nothing, Levi slammed the metal lid down and strode over to another vehicle, a nicer one this time. As your brother was aided by the blonde, you glared over to the man who was unlocking the new ride with a key that had been stashed behind a loose brick in the wall. "How did you pass your fucking driving test, Levi?" you growled, rubbing your side that had been battered by the violent turns he had taken. Without looking, he opened the door for you and delivered his reply, which wasn't surprising. 

"I didn't." About to get in for what would undoubtedly be another vomit inducing excursion, you were stopped by a gentle hand and serious gaze. Reaching over, Levi removed some glass from his woman's hair, brushing it out softly and looking over the small cuts to the side of your face, moving his stare down to the similar marks on your hands.

You hadn't realised the shattered window had caused you harm, not feeling it as the adrenaline had blocked out the pain. Shrugging off his concern, you mumbled something about how his driving did more damage and took up position once more in the back seat. "Eren, you ok?" His blackening eye and puffy cut lip made you furious at his captors and he tried to smile through it all. 

"Yea I'm ok. Thank you for saving me, all of you." He spoke to the occupants of the car and you squeezed his hand, thinking how it was your fault that this had happened and he shouldn't be thanking you at all. Levi grumbled something indecipherable and Mike smiled widely. 

"Don't mention it, Eren. We'll get you somewhere safe."

Feeling anything but safe right now, the car reversed suddenly, almost right into the other one you had just exited and you raised your hands to cover your eyes, eliciting a laugh from the man in the front passenger seat. Ignoring the disrespectful actions around him, Levi pressed the accelerator to the floor and quickly drove back up to street level, lifting a delicate hand at the guy who sat in the booth by the entrance. A similar gesture was returned from the security guard and you wondered how much he was paid to turn a blind eye.

The rest of the trip was thankfully made at normal speed, blending in to the light traffic of an early Thursday afternoon. Taking a less travelled road, you found yourself pulling up behind the warehouse and finally began to feel the warm glow of protection. That was, until the car stopped. Brakes were slammed on and four bodies shot forward against the seat belts like you had just impacted into a wall. Engine off, you escaped the vehicle gladly and ran round to get Eren out, watching as Mike rubbed the back of his neck whilst frowning at Levi. The smaller of the two spoke quietly, boredom on his face. "At least I can fucking drive, unlike you." His friend laughed as you made your way to the front entrance, and his reply was shouted out. 

"I wouldn't call that driving. More like torture."

Back in the familiar surroundings of what was currently your home, you sat your brother on the sofa and gazed over at him with concern as Levi went to fetch a first aid kit. Placing your hand on Eren's face gently, you tried to smile but failed. With a sigh, your apology spilled from your lips. "I'm so sorry, Eren, this is all my fault. Those guys are part of something bigger and there's somebody who is trying to destroy my life piece by piece." Your brother sat and listened as you explained practically everything, the phones, your income, the crazy mess you had become tangled up in, a fly caught in a web that you partly didn't want to ever escape from. Keeping the murders to yourself, along with anything to do with Annie, you finished the strange tale, fully aware of the fact that the other two had kept their distance to allow you to talk.

"So, you live here now?" asked your younger brother, eyes taking in his surroundings as you nodded. "It's cool, (F/N)." Laughing at how he just basically ignored everything apart from interior design, you shook your head as Levi approached with supplies. A green box like the one at the safe house was placed on the coffee table, along with beers that Mike had brought. Sensing Eren's body stiffen, you realised he had no idea who these two really were, apart from a couple of characters in the story you had just told.

Introducing them, Levi nodded once with a stony expression and Mike smiled. Your brother thought how he quite liked the look of the blonde man, but the other one was a bit too serious for his taste. Damn sexy in a smouldering way, granted, but he preferred larger men. And from what he could tell by the way his sister looked at the pale one and vice versa, he was almost definitely straight. As piercing grey eyes met his, Eren thought how it was a shame, and wondered if perhaps he was bi. Before he could get carried away yet again in his mind, the thoughts were pushed down and a beer was pressed into his hand.

First aid kit opened, Levi searched through, glancing over at your brother to assess the visible wounds on his face. Crouching down, he was about to use an antiseptic wipe to clean his face of blood, but the young man cringed back, almost trying to escape into the leather cushions. A finger pointed at Mike, and a small voice made a request. "Can he do it?" Levi stood, staring incredulously down at the sibling of the sometimes equally infuriating woman who was currently laughing and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Your fucking family, (F/N). All a bunch of total shits." Smiling sweetly, you blew a kiss across the air to show you were not in the least bit offended and watched as he nevertheless walked away to allow a grinning Mike to approach. You shifted along the sofa to let the blonde sit and Levi took up position on the chair that seemed to permanently live next to other seat now.

Eren's wounds seemed superficial and once they were cleaned, you heard Mike ask if there had been any other blows to his body. Confirming that there had been kicks to his torso, you stared over as your brother's top was lifted to reveal some nasty looking bruises, the guilt washing over you once more. Eren's chosen nurse bent forward, applying some pressure to the areas with apologies, mumbling that he needed to check for broken bones. The patient didn't seem to mind and you saw him smiling at the other man's touch. You turned to Levi, who was watching the scene too and rolled your eyes. A small smirk greeted you, along with a raised eyebrow as he spoke. "So, Eren, you only like blondes I take it?" There was certainly a theme and it reminded you to speak with your brother about Jean and Erwin.

Eren just grinned, totally unashamed and now completely over any thoughts of the man who spoke to him. "Sorry, Levi. No offence." A wave of a beer bottle dismissed the odd apology and Mike concluded his examination. 

"I don't think anything's broken. Just take it easy for a bit." He stood and you took up your place next to your brother again, aware that the other two had disappeared into the kitchen to hold a quiet conversation, a normal occurrence that you never questioned. Turning to the man next to you, the grin still on his face, you rubbed up and down his arm. 

"You alright?" He nodded and cast his gaze over to the back of the room. 

"(F/N), you and the moody guy are…you know?" Wiggling brows finished his sentence and you smiled, slapping playfully at him. 

"Yes, Eren. But what about you? Decided who you want to fucking be with yet?"

Wholly serious now, you searched his expression, looking closely as he seemed to be struggling with the query. He sighed and shook his head. "All I could think about when those guys left me down there was Jean and how much I wanted him there to look after me. So I suppose my brain made the choice." You nodded, wondering how the conversation with Erwin would go. Badly, no doubt and you started to think how it wouldn't be safe for the couple to return to Jean's place. Almost on cue, you were joined once more and shuffled closer to Eren to allow Levi to sit next to you, his hand resting casually on your thigh as you voiced your concerns.

"Where's he going to go?" Apparently, this had already been discussed and the answer came from the separate chair. 

"With me. And his boyfriend too. Just one of them, mind you." You snorted a small laugh at Mike's words, but looked over with gratitude, a signal he picked up clearly. Silence descended other than the sound of beer being drunk and you once again broke it. 

"Those guys? Are they just fucking stupid or did they seriously think it was ok to leave a hostage alone and unguarded?" Eren laughed nervously at your valid question and the blonde man cracked up, unable to answer through his hitching giggles. Levi lifted his bottle to stifle the imminent chuckle that threatened to spring from his lips and you just sat with a blank expression, honestly at a loss as to how it had been so simple to rescue your brother.

Returning to his usual bored look, the man to your right placed his drink down carefully and sighed. "I made a massive fucking mistake asking them to watch you, (F/N). Idiots." He was pissed off with himself now, cursing his stupid move to have two men look after your safety that he barely knew. They'd been recommended, though and he made a silent promise to never make a decision based on anyone else's say so ever again. You noticed his dark expression as his eyes bored holes into the table and placed your hand on his where it lay on your leg, a small gesture to convey that it wasn't his fault. Speaking quietly, you moved on.

"I take it they came back and shot out the car window?" Slowly, Levi turned to look at you, coal eyes flashing, any distaste he felt for himself gone for the time being. His top lip twitched into a smirk, and you waited for whatever smug remark was coming your way. 

"No, (F/N). It just fucking exploded on it's own. Stupid bitch." Shaking his head, he took a final swig of beer as you smacked him on the arm, making him spill some of the liquid on his jeans with the force of your strike. Mike sat back, getting comfortable, smile on his face and Eren stared, not realising what was about to happen.

"Fucking idiot, what did you do that for?"

"Why do you think, Levi? No need to be such a sarcastic prick, it was a genuine question, you shit."

"You've got fucking beer on me now. Imbecile."

"Oh no, not a tiny speck of dirt on your perfect clothes? Quick, call a fucking ambulance, code red. Actually, why not just get the men in white coats round, section your ass because Levi, you have a fucking problem."

"Problem? The only problem I have is dealing with your shit every day, fucking hooker."

You were both standing now, staring each other down and glaring with fury across the couple of inches of space between you, silent curses exchanged with your dark scowls. Mike leant over sideways to speak to Eren, angling his face around the angry bodies. "I think we'd better go, kid. Things are going to get nasty in a minute." With wide eyes, your brother gazed up, expecting a fight to break out and stood slowly, not sure if he should be coming to your aid. He allowed himself to be led to the front door and slipped his shoes back on, turning to glance over before he left. The sight of the pair of fuming figures whose mouths were now all over each other was not what he had been prepared for and as he slipped out the front door with a laughing Mike, the last thing he saw was his sister being dragged into what he presumed was the bedroom.

~~~~~~

You absent mindedly fiddled with Levi's hand as you lay together, his head on your shoulder and lips against your soft neck. Neither of you wanted to move, enjoying instead the closeness that now always followed the often aggressive sex. But you weren't in the habit of just lying there, or discussing the prior events. Your conversations were worthwhile and unrelated to the fact that you were pressed against each other's naked bodies and you continued with a question. "Would we have been able to pay the fucker if we didn't find Eren?" The response you received tickled against your skin, Levi's mouth moving into your neck.

"Yea, we could have, but I wasn't fucking going to. I don't take kindly to blackmail." He laid with his eyes shut, breathing in your scent, feeling your warm flesh and contentment washed over him. Never had he been so at peace as when he laid with the woman he admired so much and the fact that this was entirely against his whole personality didn't bother him in the slightest. Nearly asleep, a trail of a dream raked across his mind, only to be cut short by an annoying noise. Both of you sat up and stared at the desk in the main room through the open bedroom door, knowing exactly where it was coming from. Levi jumped up and grabbed the phone, placing it on speaker as he brought it back, taking up position on his side once more.

"Hello?" You laid back down as well as you spoke, the device on the sheets between your chests as you locked eyes onto the gaze of the man you were becoming increasingly enamoured with, a small smile on both of your lips. The same muffled voice from this morning came through, but it sounded distinctly pissed off. 

"You didn't play nice, (F/N)." Now grinning, you replied, fingers tickling across Levi's stomach. 

"I wasn't really into your fucking game to be honest, so I thought I'd make my own one up." Silence descended and you watched the way your touch caused the man by your side to twitch, playful scowl on his face. Finally, a parting retort was given. 

"You're going to regret doing that. You should have done what you were told."

~~~~~~

A month had passed since the call, but nothing more had happened. No threats, no attempts on your life, no sign of the two men who had kidnapped your brother. Him and Jean remained as lodgers in Mike's spare bedroom, his building having the same round the clock protection as Levi's and he was beginning to regret it, grumbling often about how they stank of hormones and sex. Erwin had been let down gently and any time you saw him now he looked downright wretched. It bothered you somewhat, but at the same time it was good to see the joy in the couple's faces.

Daily life with Levi continued, a combination of trips to collect money, a few physical altercations, meetings and, of course, sex. Neither of you spoke about your emotions or how you felt about each other, it wasn't needed as it was abundantly clear that the two of you were infatuated. Anyone else would have called it love you supposed, but whatever the word was, you felt free. Your transfers continued and you had contacted your landlord to cease your tenancy at the old apartment on Levi's instructions, not prepared to have you move back there even if you seemed to be out of danger for now. Most of your belongings, like furniture, had gone to a second hand store to be sold on and a few of your pictures now sat propped on the desk in the living room.

None of the people you had met along the way had been in touch and you hadn't needed to contact them. It could have been any one of those criminals that was your tormentor, but the fact that you had visited them without harm made you convinced it wasn't one of those already encountered. Kenny remained missing in action and probably dead if you were honest, but neither you nor Levi cared. The more sedate pace of life hadn't bored you as it had done last time there was a break in the excitement and Levi hadn't spoken of his desire to get away from it all again. It was like you had both reached a content moment in life and just let it drag you along to wherever it was going to lead.

Tonight, it led to the club that you hadn't visited in ages and a pair of steely eyes watched as his woman closely danced the night away with Mikasa and Annie, the three of you having what appeared to be an incredibly enjoyable time. If a man, or woman, approached you to offer a drink, dance or something more lewd, Levi would stiffen instinctively, muscles ready to spring into action, but every time you dealt with it yourself with ease.

Sipping at his bourbon, a presence appeared by his side and a friendly voice shouted over the loud music. "Who knew she was capable of having that much fun?" Levi glanced at Mike and smirked, quickly turning his attention back to the body that was moving amazingly in the tight black dress that clung perfectly. He didn't even wonder why the man was here, totally absorbed in the hypnotic gyrations in front of him. Pulled from his enjoyment, the voice spoke again. "We found where those two idiots were last seen. Fancy a little trip tomorrow?" With an evil smile, he met his friend's eyes that flickered with equal mischief and nodded, looking forward to paying the pair of fucking screw ups who disobeyed his orders a visit.

The two men watched as you strutted over, low heels on your feet adding a sway to your step. You gave Levi a forceful kiss and his arm wrapped around you as you leant forward, cleavage exposed above your low cut garment. "Hey Mike, you want to dance?" Grinning, he shook his head as grey eyes drilled a hole into his skull with their stare and he moved closer to the woman he was finally being accepted by. 

"No chance, (F/N). Not worth losing a limb over." Laughing, you patted Levi's chest and looked up into his grumpy face with a shrug. 

"Oh well, seeing as you won't either, I guess I'll get back to my girls." Winking, you went to leave, only to be pulled back against a toned body. Speaking in your ear with delicious whispers, your lover sent you crazy with his revelation. 

"We're going on a trip tomorrow. Let's get those fucks that took your brother, teach them a lesson."


	14. Raising The Stakes

Saturday morning had arrived after a long, satisfying night out and you felt Levi curl his arm around your throat from behind, neck in the crook, pulling back tightly as he raised you up to your knees on the bed from where you had previously been on all fours. With strong thrusts, he continued to fill you over and over again and reached his other hand down to rub between your legs, the sensations of being fucked, played with and slightly choked causing you to moan out loudly.

On the other side of the apartment, Mike had let himself in with the key he always kept on him, having received no response to his knocks and heard the reason for being ignored. With a smile, he stood back against the wall, not wanting to move into the room as the bedroom door was wide open. Instead, he listened as panted words filtered through, finding it all quite amusing.

"That's right, (F/N), fucking take it, slut."

"Fuck Levi, harder. Fuck me harder."

"Shut up bitch, I'm the one in control here."

A few more indecipherable words were spoken, along with a series of groans and expletives, culminating in fast loud shouts, growls and screams. The next thing Mike heard was a squeal and a thud.

As Levi let go of your weak body, you were unable to keep upright so, being near the edge of the bed, you ended up sliding forwards onto the floor in a blur of naked flesh. Laughing, you looked up as the man still kneeling on the soft sheets smiled down with a smug expression, his breathing laboured and a slight sheen of sweat across his body. Grabbing the covers, you pulled yourself up and onto the mattress, flopping down with exhaustion as the buzz of your orgasm that still ran through you. A box hit your arm but you were incapable of movement and stayed laying face down on the bed until you were roused.

"Come on, (F/N). We don't want to keep our guest waiting." Slowly, you raised your head and scowled over as Levi pulled on boxers and a top. 

"What guest?" you asked with unease, now on your back, propped up on your elbows and a familiar voice came from the living room. 

"Morning, (F/N)." Groaning, you collapsed down and put a hand over your eyes, hissing loudly with frustration. 

"For the love of fucking god, Levi. Mike, what the fuck are you doing here?" A laugh greeted your query and you viciously groped around for the tissues as the infuriating dark haired man left the room.

Finally able to stand up, you grabbed a pair of clean knickers and shoved one of Levi's t-shirts on as it was closer. Moving through the apartment to join the two men, you glared at them as you side stepped past legs to sit on the sofa. "Who said you could wear my fucking clothes, (F/N)?" Shooting your best look of death downwards, you snarled in response. 

"Fuck off, Levi. I'm not talking to you." Slumping down onto the leather, you crossed your right leg over your left and folded your arms across your chest, earning you a small laugh from your lover. He patted your leg in mock sympathy, smirk on his self righteous face and you slowly removed his touch from your thigh, throwing his arm away. 

"So, we're in a good mood today?" Mike received a similar scowl and equally polite answer. 

"I'm not fucking talking to you either."

With a tired look, he spoke to the angry woman who sat as far away from Levi as possible, melded into the side of the sofa. "Don't be silly. You forget what I have to hear every single day at home." Meeting his gaze, you winced with the memory. 

"At least you're not fucking related to one of them, Mike. That shit would make your ears bleed."

Eventually, the conversation took a more adult tone and you discussed today's upcoming events. Krista had provided Mike with some information on the two men who still eluded you and the CCTV she used had traced them to near the alleyway that housed the office that you had been bound for when you'd been shot. The last sighting of them was two weeks ago. Everyone who had been on the side of the enemy, apart from the ones you were going to visit soon, had been unknown, strangers in this city and evidently they didn't know about or want to make use of the blonde woman's skills. 

The decision had been made to make the journey in daylight. It was a deserted area of the town and even if anyone was around, the likelihood of them also being criminals was quite high. The ultimate aim was to interrogate by any means possible and obtain information on the whole situation. Mike was involved totally now, out of a desire to protect the faction he worked in and his friends, but also for the thrill. He found Levi and his equally irate other half entertaining and wanted to see what would happen next.

The time had come and you found yourself walking down now familiar streets, passing an alley that led eventually to the building which contained the safe house you had stayed in, now a distant but also good memory. The weather was acceptable, not too cold but enough for coats and a wind whipped around you, sending your hair flying in all directions and blinding you when a gust picked up. It was mid afternoon, the sun attempting to shine through the dark clouds, fighting past threatening rain and sometimes gracing you with a ray or two. You walked in a line, the men either side of your body, all quiet and concentrating on the task at hand, not wanting to let childish banter invade the business like demeanour you now all held.

The required alley came into view and it looked like a whole different place in the light of day. It wasn't the dark, foreboding space that felt constricting and claustrophobic like before and apart from the adrenaline that ran through your veins, there was no emotion created by the sight of the small street that had been the scene of the first murder you had witnessed. That was until you passed the exact spot where the man had lost his worthless life and your heart beat increased. Levi saw you smile slightly at the recollection, his own chest pounding as he gazed upon you. He pulled out his knife and Mike reached round into his waist band to grab his gun. Today, you had your own blade and gratefully held it tight, feeling better about being able to defend or attack when required.

The door was slightly ajar and Levi opened it slowly with his foot. There was nothing in there. Nothing at all, not even a scrap of paper. Whoever Kenny had instructed to clear up, they had certainly done a good job. All that remained were grey, dull concrete walls, floor and ceiling and one dirty bulb that hung from above. Switching the light on, Mike turned and closed the entrance quietly, muttering something about how it didn't smell right, all eyes now on the strong metal door that sat in the back wall. If anyone was here, it would be through there. The blonde man raised his weapon, pointing it steadily at the secured opening and Levi used his arm to scoop you behind him for protection, which you suffered without a word. Leaning forward, he gripped the handle and pulled, swinging it towards you all.

Coughing, you raised a hand to your face, trying to cover your nose and mouth and keep them from having to be assaulted by the stench that came out of the newly opened room. Your eyes watered and Levi placed his arm across his own face, the rotten aroma overpowering him almost. Mike struggled to keep his lunch down and you wondered how bad it must be for him, his heightened sense definitely putting him at a disadvantage right now. Crowding together at the threshold, the pale man reached up and switched on another light, allowing you to see what had caused the horrific odour.

Quickly you spun round and without any choice in the matter, you threw up, the sight you had just seen making it impossible to do anything but vomit. "Oh fuck me. Fuck me, that is just….Shit." Levi sounded in pain, his usual controlled voice almost pleading and you heard Mike's own wretches. Being the only one capable of making a note of the area, the dark haired man glanced around and took in everything. A table with nothing on it, two chairs, a shelf unit with a few old coffee cups as residents, a metal safe that was slightly open and, of course, the reason for his two companion's still continuing gags.

At the back of the room, on the floor next to each other were the bloated, decomposing bodies of what he presumed were the two guys who he instructed to keep watch on your building. Eyes narrowing, he took note of their clothes and although slightly discoloured by bodily fluids, they seemed to match the description Krista had given. Their skin was stretched and patchy from being pulled by the build up of internal gases, but he could still make out the unmistakable purple marks on their fat foreheads that signalled cause of death. Bullet to the brain, execution style. He felt a hand at his arm and you stood close, attempting to be strong and forcing yourself to look, but what happened next made both of you turn and run. Something moved underneath the ripped shirt of the body closest and as a stream of maggots spilled out, it was game over.

Bursting out into the sweet, cold air, you leant a hand against the wall and felt your stomach clench, the sounds of Levi's nausea that overcame him reaching your ears and making you gag once more, nothing left to come up but still your human reaction wouldn't let up. A few minutes later and you had all regained your composure to some extent and with a mixture of chokes and sniffs, you pulled out your cigarettes and passed them round. Mike would usually decline, but he took one gladly and you stood together in a cloud of smoke for a moment. "That was some sick fucking shit." Your voice cut through the silence and in response, a hand was placed on your shoulder. 

"Don't ever tell me I don't know how to show a girl a good fucking time, (F/N)." Levi's delivery was flawless, completely deadpan and it alleviated the mood instantly.

Mike dragged deeply on his cigarette and made a suggestion to visit the last place the dead men had been seen prior to their demise, having already been informed of it by Krista. It might offer more clues, as the sighting now suggested they had been there immediately before reaching their ultimate location of death. Quiet contemplation followed and Levi nodded. Crushing his smoke beneath his foot, he wiped a hand over his mouth and spoke. "Ok. But not yet. I need a fucking drink." Murmurs of agreement followed and you began to make your way to the nearest bar, not caring how run down it might be. As long as it had alcohol, it was fine.

The first one you found was on a corner, paint peeling from the sign that hung high and swaying on the wall, letting you know it was called The Ship. Walking in, you scanned your surroundings, eyes still on high alert and saw only three others in attendance. The carpet was brown and sticky, the windows filthy, allowing little light through. A large, older man stood behind the counter, sleeves rolled up as he leant across the pumps to size up the new customers. An elderly figure sat to one side, eyes down in his pint of beer, not interested in looking up to see who had entered. The remaining occupant was a small, ratty looking man, pointed features making him look severe, but as you locked onto his gaze, he also bowed his head.

Levi reached the bartender and met his stare without faltering and after an unspoken exchange, the taller man nodded and asked for the customer's order. Brown liquid was poured into no doubt filthy glasses, but none of you cared right now, especially seeing as the measures given were huge, almost spilling over the brim. Taking a seat in the furthest corner, away from everyone else, the chair creaked under your weight and you feared for it's safety. Levi sat carefully and looked up to see the question about the owner of the place in your gaze. "He doesn't fucking like me. But I've got some shit on him." Elaborating no further, you watched as he sipped at his drink, glass held delicately in his hand and just accepted his short explanation.

Mike had been filled in on the incident with the maggots, causing him to clap a hand over his mouth and you smirked at his discomfort. A small discussion on the next steps was had, the location being another of Kenny's many offices and it wasn't far from here, meaning that you were soon back outside. The light buzz from the alcohol had steadied your nerves but hadn't clouded your mind and the three figures once more stalked with purpose down deserted back streets.

Ten minutes later and the destination was reached, an inconspicuous building with a simple blue door. The surroundings were inoffensive, no rubbish piled up and no cracks in the bricks of the small passage way. It was the only accessible premises here, the rest of the walls being the foundations of edifices that had their main entrances on the larger, more travelled streets. It meant that you were hidden from view, the camera at the end of the alley pointing away. That fact also made you slightly nervous, but you weren't sure why. The usual flow of emotions in you was present, like that of a thrill seeker, but with the addition of unease. Placing a hand on Levi's arm, you spoke quietly.

"I don't like this." Grey eyes met yours, scanning you with curiosity. Normally the woman by his side would be smiling, or at least happy to stride in anywhere with him, ready to take on the next task with a glint in your eye. What he saw now was a dark stare, not fearful but wary. Before, he might have chided you, started an argument, but this was different. An altercation wouldn't help here as your ability to be on the ball now in dangerous situations was finely tuned. As much as Levi enjoyed sometimes having to block the punches you threw, having to listen to your stream of insults, he also recognised when to take a softer approach. When he spoke, it was with a voice that only you ever heard, a voice that seemed impossibly caring for the violent man.

"(F/N), what's wrong? We'll be in and out in minutes, don't worry. Ok?" He raised a hand to your cheek, stroking softly to try and allay your concerns, soothe the disquiet in your being. You knew he was right and pushed down the unwelcome feelings, nodding once and offering him a small smile, shaking off the strange dread. Satisfied you were at least slightly bolstered, Levi turned and tried the handle, finding it locked. A set of keys were pulled from his pocket and he selected the right one instantly, making you wonder how he could tell them all apart. Door now ready to be opened, he stepped back and with a glance to Mike, he threw it wide and the blonde positioned himself with a raised gun at the entrance.

Slowly, you filed in, senses on edge and a light was flicked on, allowing you to see the new space you stood in. It was huge, not just a room but a massive area that held a multitude of items. There were no other doors, just the one expansive realm of furniture and shelves. The three of you began to span out and your eyes darted around, glancing over desks, chairs, tables. A screen sat dormant on one wall and the whole place seemed like some kind of war room, a space that could easily hold a large number of people for the purposes of planning or debriefing. Books and ledgers were lined up on the shelves and as you walked around, you saw a set of papers on one of the surfaces. They looked like shipping manifests, telling you of a delivery of what was marked as children's bicycles, but you guessed that was far from the truth.

Making your way to the back wall, a good twenty metres from the door, you heard a refrigerator kick in, buzzing with life as it did it's job to keep whatever it held inside chilled and fresh. A sink was plumbed in back here too and you spotted three clean cups on the metal draining board, now dry as you imagined they had been last used two weeks ago. Whoever had met the men here was not in the CCTV, otherwise Krista would have told Mike, surely, and you began to feel that creeping trepidation again, knowing there must be someone out there who was avoiding the cameras.

You heard the others speaking, but couldn't make out their words from where they stood by the now closed entrance and you noticed a sticky sheen in the sink. Bending, you sniffed and frowned. Almonds. It reminded you of marzipan and you wondered why that scent was in here. Deciding to follow the trail, you opened the cupboard beneath, down where the plug would have drained whatever it was away and as you crouched, you heard an electronic beep. With wide eyes, you gasped as a red, digital number shone out, four turning to three and you scrabbled at the floor in an attempt to escape as you yelled out to the two men in here with you. "Run!"

In slow movements that were almost like they were made in deep water, you saw the door open and did all you could to close the gap between the sink and the man that held an arm out in your direction, shouting at you in muffled words with a look of shock. Mike was half way out of the building, grabbing at Levi who was still trying to reach you from all that way in the distance, the red digit clear in his line of sight. All of this happened in the three remaining seconds that you had and then a loud sound rocked the space you were trying to flee from, force sending you flying. Instinctively, you threw your arms over your head and hit the floor in a blanket of darkness.

Smoke filled the large room and Mike had managed to pull his friend back just in time, avoiding the spray of rubble that tumbled from the door into the alleyway. In seconds, Levi was fighting to get back inside, the larger man tried to reason with him. "You can't go in! It's not safe, the ceiling could come down at any moment!" he shouted, clutching at the pale figure who now had a feral look on his face. With ringing ears, he heard a snarled reply. 

"Get the fuck off me Mike, I'm not leaving her, I have to find her you fucking prick." On the last word, he broke free and clawed at the door frame, leaping over pieces of wood that used to be tables, pushing through piles of displaced items.

In relative darkness, Levi called your name over and over, pulling at objects that might be on top of you, throwing them to one side as if they were made of cotton wool and not concrete and twisted metal. Frantic, his eyes glowed with murderous intent and he possessed an unnatural strength as he searched through the piles of shit in the place he had seen you fall. All that ran through his mind was a singular thought. (F/N). He wouldn't allow himself to even think that you had come to harm, believing that you were under here somewhere, just hiding, playing a game of some sort. Any minute now, your beautiful face would pop out with a grin, your hideout discovered and he would be able to take the stunning and captivating woman in his arms, shower her with kisses.

His hand brushed against something warm and with a growl, Levi shovelled wood and smashed glass out the way, unaware of any pain as he single mindedly concentrated on finding you. Finally, he was able to make out the shape of a body on the cold floor, a faint thought in his mind that it was lucky that nothing too heavy seemed to have been on top of you and reaching down, he laid his touch on your prone form. Not wanting to cause any further injury by moving you, he bent and ran a shaking hand over your face, unable to see if your eyes were open, but he felt your breath on his skin. It made his heart soar and with urgency, Levi spoke in your ear.

"(F/N), can you hear me? Fucking move, we need to get out of here, get up you fucking idiot." Hearing a moan, he watched as you tried to sit and held onto your body tightly to help you up, a faint blur of darkness on your forehead. Clinging on, he bore your weight with ease as you managed to stand and he aided you over the rubble and dangerous piles towards the door, aware of a limp in your slow walk. 

"I'm not a fucking idiot, you dick." Your grumbled words made him laugh lightly and he squeezed your battered form close as he heard distant sirens.

Mike was hopping around by the entrance, aware of how close the emergency services were getting and he reached out to help his friends into the daylight, seeing the blood on your head. Without hesitation, Levi scooped you up and instructed you to hold on, hooking one arm under your legs and the other round your body and you made your way into the maze of streets, being carried like a child in your man's arms. Clinging on, you held him tightly with an embrace round his neck, head buried in his chest to try and dull the pain you felt.

Coming to a halt, you looked around and found yourself in a small space between high walls, the sirens further away now and you guessed you were keeping out of view for the time being. Lowered to your feet carefully, a shooting sensation ran up your leg, making you grit your teeth and you were gently sat down on what felt like a crate. Levi pulled his phone out and dialled, speaking quietly as Mike crouched before you, wiping at your bloody head with a piece of cloth that looked like a part of his shirt. Short call over, a pale face came into view as the two men stared up at you with concern. "Where does it hurt?" With a tremble in your voice, you informed them of your fragile ankle and muttered that pretty much everything had it's own pain, from your aching head to the throbbing in your back.

You heard an engine and shrank back against the wall, trying to hide behind a large waste bin, but Levi pulled you up, letting you hold on for support as he took you towards the car that had arrived. Helped in, you once again sat in Reiner's vehicle, but this time your lover was next to you, Mike up front. As he drove off, the gym owner grumbled. "I'm not your fucking driver, Levi." With a smirk, the back seat passenger replied. 

"Yet, here you are." Letting out a nervous laugh at his words, you started to feel less highly strung and leant back on the soft seat.

Back at home, you were guided to the sofa and fussed over somewhat, beer in front of you, tin in your hands and a constant blur of Levi in your vision. He carefully took a look at your ankle, moving it in circles and testing how far he could push it without getting punched by it's owner, deciding it was probably not broken but needed rest for a while. The cut on your head was small and had been cleaned gently and patched up. Not much could be done about the other areas of pain, and you had already started to bruise all over, signs of the items that had impacted into you earlier.

Now sitting in your pyjama shorts and vest, a bandage on your ankle, foot on the coffee table, the discussions turned to business as the sun began to disappear from the day. Mike swigged back on his beer and listened as Levi questioned you. "What did it look like? Every fucking detail, nothing's unimportant." Closing your eyes, you recalled the beep you heard under the sink, the display with the count down, but no wires were visible, no mechanism that would signal that your opening of the cupboard had set it off. It had been a small box, rather rough around the edges but evidently still effective. Thoughts ran through the mind of the man who sat close to you, his hand on your skin, not wanting to break the touch as if making sure you were still in fact sitting there, alive.

Realisation hit and he spoke in a low, dark voice. "You didn't trigger it, then. Fucker was watching us somehow." As you dragged deeply on your joint, using it to combine with beer for a pain killer again, you spoke your mind with a slightly higher pitched tone than usual, pointing your finger for emphasis. 

"So all this time, they knew we'd go there? Knew we'd use camera feeds to track down those guys and eventually that place? What the fuck is this all about?" No one had an answer to that, but Mike had an idea for what to do next. 

"We need access to Krista's software again. There must be something on there around those buildings, someone can't totally avoid being filmed in this day and age, surely?" It was a natural step, but one that would have to wait. The blonde said his farewells and left the couple to digest the day's events, taking himself back to what he hoped would be a quiet apartment.

Almost as soon as he went, the noises from the floor below started up and you sighed, not in the mood to be disturbed by another raucous night of gambling. Suddenly, hands were on your cheeks, holding you gently and serious steel eyes pinned you down as a soft voice tinged with fear reached your ears. "Don't fucking do that again. You could have died. I can't lose you, (F/N), I won't. I love you too fucking much to say goodbye." Before you could respond, his warm lips were on yours, stealing small kisses, trying to convey how glad he was to be able to do this. Breaking away, he hugged you tight and placed his face in your neck, feeling you squeeze back with ferocity, your breaths as fast and ragged as his. Neither of you cried, but it was the closest thing to it as the gravity of the earlier explosion settled in and you stayed connected, oblivious to the shouts and crashes downstairs.

After a while, composure regained, you pulled back slightly and smiled as you saw the familiar flash in his eyes that told you he was coming closer to being alright. Raising a hand, you brushed his ebony hair back from his face in an affectionate manner and tilted your head. "I never knew you were such a fucking softie, Levi." He scowled, an expression that furrowed his brows but didn't reach as far as his still gleaming orbs and he playfully reprimanded you. 

"If you ever tell anyone what I just said, I will fucking kill you, understand?" Grinning, you nodded your head slowly and placed a small kiss on his mouth. 

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. And just for the record? Love you too."

A shrill sound ruined the moment and you both rolled your eyes, aware of exactly what it was. Levi retrieved the phone and hit the button, waiting for whoever it was to speak in muted tones. "So you're still alive then?" With a wry smile, you shouted over. 

"Seems that way, you fucking idiot. Now why don't you just tell me what the fuck this is all about?" Silence followed and eventually the voice gave you his parting shot. 

"It's gone too far. I can't allow either of you to live anymore." Call ended, you stared into silver eyes, and whispered. 

"It's about both of us now?" Feeling wretched for virtually painting a target on Levi's back, you shook your head in disbelief and frustration, hating how you were on the back foot.

Sensing your mood, he joined you once more and held your gaze. "Hey, fucking stop that, alright? I go where you go, remember?" Hearing your words from before spoken back to you made your heart lighten slightly and you allowed yourself to be brought into another hug, shouts coming from the card game in the building. Trying to return to normal, you grumbled into Levi's hair. 

"Well can we go somewhere now, please? They're going to be the fucking end of me." With a small laugh, he sat up and stared with a strange look on his face. Standing, you watched as he made his way to the door, defiant stride in place. 

"We're not going anywhere, (F/N). It's those shits that are." Slamming the entrance shut, you presumed that he realised he was now fully in control and with his uncle gone, he could do whatever the fuck he wanted.

It went quiet and you heard one singular voice sound out, but couldn't make out the words. Seconds later, the noise of scraping furniture and shoes on wooden floors came through and you imagined the group of men were leaving. Not long after, Levi returned, still in his socks, a smug smile on his features. "And that, (F/N), is how you ensure a fucking decent night's sleep." It wasn't late, but you needed rest and he helped you to limp to bed, taking care to make you comfortable on the mattress. His delicate hands pulled the sheets around you and as he climbed in next to you, a kiss was placed on your forehead. Gently, he gathered your bruised body up and you lay together, contented and fell asleep quickly.


	15. Enemy Within

Nearly a week had gone by and your ankle was almost healed, as was the cut on your head. Angry purple bruises had begun to fade and your body was peppered with a variety of different colours. Levi had taken good care of you, treating you with attentive, gentle gestures, almost like you were a delicate piece of china that needed to be contained in bubble wrap. It was suffocating at times, but mostly you suffered it, knowing it was only temporary and that he meant well. The afternoon sun shone weakly through the black framed windows and you sat waiting for the visitors that were due, much to your lover's disgust. He didn't mind Mike coming round, or even when he had brought your brother yesterday to see you, but these were not friends or relatives and he stood grumbling in the kitchen.

A knock at the door signalled their arrival and with a sigh, he made his was sullenly across the apartment to allow them in. His blonde friend was first, followed by two smaller figures, both with the same light hair. He would have gone to them himself, but he didn't want you to leave his sight, the shock and fear at almost losing you in the explosion still raw in his mind. It had undoubtedly turned him into something of a stifling partner and he was well aware that he was being perhaps a bit over protective, but he couldn't help it. Levi meant it when he had said he wasn't prepared to say goodbye and it manifested in his desire to keep you inside and away from the danger you both usually craved. He knew it wouldn't last long, but he had strangely enjoyed fussing over you, seeing you more vulnerable than he had before. It made him feel useful for once. Any work related business had been dealt with by phone or through Mike, but he knew he'd need to get out there soon, otherwise people might think he'd disappeared along with his uncle.

As Armin and Krista filed in, they were offered seats and they slotted in next to where you sat on the sofa, Mike taking up his usual position on the chair leaving the remaining occupier of the place to perch on an arm of the couch. The request for more CCTV had been met with a distinct and brave no, but an agreement was arranged to provide you with the software required instead so you could do your own dull research. Armin glanced over at the woman by his side, having strategically placed himself between her and his friend to avoid any kind of altercations. He took in the injury to your head, the fading bruises on your exposed arms and shoulders. Not wanting to seem impolite, he spoke quietly to you as the others discussed the mechanics of how to use the program.

"Are you ok? What happened?" Softer eyes than he had seen before met his and he saw tiredness in the gaze. 

"I'm fine. Nothing major." It seemed that was all he would get from what he presumed was Levi's other half and stopped trying to probe. The simultaneous conversation had come to an end and a memory stick was placed on the coffee table. Krista stiffened as she rose, glaring down at you with burning eyes, but all you did was laugh, making her infuriated, as was your intention. She no longer aggravated you as much as before, you had much bigger issues to deal with, but you couldn't help but wind her up. Sensing what you were doing, Levi stood and ushered the two out, sending them on their way with Mike.

The short and quite honestly unnecessary visit was over and you were joined on the sofa, watching as the laptop was pulled across and fired up, memory stick inserted. It made you both think of the one delivered to the still absent Kenny and the unanswered questions that arose from that. With a small huff, Levi opened the program and began to show you how to use it, planning on downloading the software onto your device too to cut the time in half. It would no doubt be a slog, trawling through fuck knows how much video so two sets of eyes were better than one.

Shortly after your lesson in navigating the system, you sat together, relaxants of choice readily available, as was a large selection of snacks and nibbles that would serve as your dinner tonight. Mike had business to attend to this evening, but would assist tomorrow - in reality, he didn't have anything to do. He was out getting drunk, but he wasn't about to tell you two that, trying to avoid the menial task.

After a couple of hours, you wiped at your blurry eyes and lit another joint, thoroughly bored of staring at the screen and trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sighing heavily, you turned to the man by your side. "Levi, I'm going to stick a fucking fork in my eye, this is so fucking boring." Without looking up, he reached over and swiped his hand across the table, moving the few items of cutlery that were present to assist with your food, keeping them out of your reach. You laughed at his action, catching sight of his own small smirk.

~~~~~~

By the time morning arrived, you were ready to kill. Not that you'd been at it all night, but it felt that way as you ran bored eyes across the dull pictures, people going about their vanilla days with pre-programmed purpose. A coffee was placed down, and your thin patience snapped. "I need to go out." Your proclamation was met by a nod. Levi wasn't going to suggest you had to remain housebound anymore, it was Friday and six days since the incident. Whilst scanning the images, you reached out for your phone and sent a message to Mikasa, asking if she and Annie were around this evening. Scrolling through, you found the other name and typed a similar request to the entity called Shithead. Both came back quickly to confirm and at Levi's request, you arranged to meet in the bar on Dean Street where User and Lights had first met. It wasn't sentimental, purely due to the fact that his men ran it. Yes, his men. It was obvious he was in charge now, whether he liked it or not.

A few hours passed and Mike hadn't shown up to help yet. Unknown to you, he was sleeping off his hangover in a random woman's bed, having let off steam in spectacular fashion last night. Scowling at the screen, you sat forward abruptly. That figure. You'd seen it before and in the same area. Rewinding, you were aware of a presence by your side, Levi leaning over and blocking your view. With a shove, you cleared the line of sight and watched the small form walk down the street and into the alley where you had discovered the bodies. It was obviously male, clad all in black, long coat with a hood up to hide. Expertly, he avoided having his face seen by the camera and you checked the date stamp. The day before the two men had been last seen.

With a racing pulse, you paused and zoomed in, the image becoming grainy and no further clues were given as to the identity of the man who you had no doubt was behind it all. Slumping back, you breathed out a small laugh, rivalling one of Levi's efforts and once more his dark hair bent over the screen. "Tch." Unimpressed, he turned, setting his silver gaze on your (e/c) orbs, brow raised.

"You can't even see who it is. This isn't a fucking breakthrough, (F/N)."

"But we can trace him, Levi. Don't be a prick."

"It could be anyone. Plenty people walk down that shitty street."

"Yea, but not down the same fucking alley where those dead guys were found! Twice! Stop pissing on my victory."

"How is that a victory, stupid bitch? It's fuck all."

"Right, that's fucking it Levi." In a swift motion, you stood and pulled him in the direction of the bedroom, storming through the apartment, grumbling. "Fuck all, my ass. You really piss me off sometimes, you dick. So…" with a push, you sent him flying onto the bed, his eyes gleaming with the sensation of being at the receiving end of your vengeful strength again and your next growled words drove him insane as you crawled up the mattress. "I'm going to ruin you, Levi. You have no fucking idea what I'm capable of right now." He felt his boxers being tugged at, having not bothered getting dressed yet and watched with anticipation as you licked slowly up his already throbbing member, burning eyes locked on to his.

~~~~~~

The moment you had been waiting for was here. Sitting forward, you intently gazed at the screen as you saw the same figure enter a building, still keeping his face hidden, but it had happened only three hours ago. Skipping through, you watched as it became a live feed, confident the man hadn't left as the whole place was surrounded by cameras, each one open in small boxes across the laptop's display. Leaning back, you breathed in the thick, sweet smoke and exhaled slowly, smirking as Levi sat heavily down beside you. "Told you it was something. He keeps fucking going in there, eight times in two weeks." Glancing over, you took note of the expression on your lover's face, the contented glee mixed with slight awe.

Smiling with a sickly grin, you graced him with a look of mock sympathy. "What? Can't handle a stupid bitch after all? Aw, Levi. Come on, at least we found out you're good at begging?" Patting his leg in a patronising fashion, you had eventually broken him and an amazing sound reached your ears. Genuine laughter. Not light or airy, not a chuckle. A pure, hearty noise that did so many things to you all at once. It was infectious and you couldn't hold back and two people who on the outside could seem like stone cold, offensive human beings sat laughing together on the leather sofa, unable to stop for a while.

Wiping your eyes, you composed yourself and grinned over at the slightly flushed face by your side. He shook his head, smile still on his lips and he got up to fetch some beers. With a final giggle, you returned to watch over the screen, just at the right moment. The man was back, leaving through a different exit with a small bag thrown over his shoulder. It looked empty, or light at least and as Levi joined you again, you pointed. Flicking through relevant feeds, you followed his progress which led him to a grocery store. A quick check on the other laptop confirmed that they had cameras inside, but when you tried to access them, it was the worst picture you had seen so far and offered nothing in the way of assistance. The only thing it told you was that whoever you tracked was stocking up, a large basket of what looked like tins and bottles offered up to the cashier.

Swigging your beer, you glared as the person returned to the previous building and once more managed to avoid any facial recognition. Opening another window, you searched through a map website and found the location. The name of the place on the corner was typed in and it brought up some further information. An abandoned shop, empty for years. Three storeys, on the open market for a pittance because, understandably, no one seemed to want to buy a run down premises in a terrible area. Satisfied, you pointed again, tapping the screen with your nail. "And that, Levi, is that." He was amused by your pride, but also impressed at the way you had held onto this like a dog with a bone, not letting go until you had what you needed. A pair of lips pressed into yours strongly and you kissed back with a smile. Drawing away, you looked into his eyes, the flecks of silver twinkling like stars in the night sky as he spoke. 

"Let's go celebrate. That shit stain can wait."

~~~~~~

Levi stood at the bar, waiting for drinks and conversing with the man working tonight about business related matters, glancing round to where you sat surrounded by the people you allowed into your life. It made him happy to see you so animated, your smile wide as you listened to a story that Jean was telling with grand gestures and a stern face. Eren's blush told him that it was at your brother's expense and as laughter sounded out, Levi gazed across your features as they lit up, the combination of the earlier discovery and the company of others making you look positively enchanting. Catching his eye, you grinned and excused yourself to go and assist him with the glasses and bottles.

Leaning against the counter, grey eyes soft, he reached up and tucked a stray piece of your hair behind your ear, small smile on his face. It was yet another moment of peace and his heart swelled, all thoughts of the inevitable end game pushed down so he could enjoy the atmosphere and drink in your magnetic personality. With full hands, you both delivered the alcohol to the table, sliding in together between Mike and Annie. If it could be captured somehow and manufactured, the gathering here could be sold on as honest contentment and joy and the two of you exchanged a look as another tale of how embarrassing Eren could be was begun.

~~~~~~

Come Saturday evening, you were a ball of nerves, pacing around the apartment in your underwear, beer in one hand and a joint in the other, unable to stay still for two seconds. The clouds that covered the city sat darkly outside, enveloping all of the moon's light in black, heavy blobs of threatened rain. Making another lap of the room, you flicked ash into the receptacle on the desk, eyes running over the other items that lay there. Open laptop watching the building, two knives, the gun with attached silencer, three phones. The extra device was the one that this man used to contact you and it would be brought out tonight too. It had stayed silent since you last spoke after the explosion, but it could spring to life at any moment.

The plan was simple. Seek and destroy. And, of course, get a fucking answer as to why this was all happening to you. Whoever it was could be resourceful, that much was evident and had presumably killed too. The bodies of the men must have been his handiwork and the very real possibility that Kenny had met the same fate was clear in your mind. You were under no illusion that this would be it. Do or die. It was a stark reality that both you and Levi could be injured, or killed and you crushed out your smoke viciously at that thought, stomach knotted as much as your brows were, the pull of adrenaline and fear mixing together to form a lump of lead in your soul.

Mike had been brought up to speed, but was under strict orders to remain out of this. There was no need to endanger another life and if the worst was to happen, he would need to be there to continue the shady business. No one else from your bizarre adventures would be involved, this was between the three of you. Two lovers against a tormenting stranger who had brought so many things into your life, one of them being the man who now curled his arms around your body from where he had approached from behind. Squeezing tight, naked save for his boxers, you felt his warmth press into you and sighed, never wanting to leave this moment. You certainly wanted to find out what was going on, but wished it could be done another way. It was a stupid thought, there was no other avenue that could be taken. It was personal and it would end tonight, however things panned out.

Turning, you faced Levi, your own arms wrapped around his bare skin, holding on as if to try and stop time, pause the inevitable. He felt it too, a streak of pain running through him, but he was better at dealing with it and instead concentrated on the facts. Both of you were strong, determined and pissed off enough to face this task and he had no doubt that it would take a hell of a lot to dampen the fire that lay within one another. That and the instinct to survive, along with the intense feelings you held for each other would only serve in your favour. He had tried to explain this to you earlier and it sank in to some extent, but he wasn't sure how much as he looked down into wide eyes. With a low voice, he spoke. "Behave yourself, (F/N). You're not a weak fucking girl. You think I'd have put up with your shit for this long if you were?" Smiling lightly, you nodded, knowing you had to gather yourself and become the hard, uncaring woman that came all to easily.

Dressing quickly, you pulled on your dark clothes with a renewed desire and you walked over to the desk. Picking up your phone, you sent short messages that tried to be light and breezy to Eren and Mikasa, making out that you were thanking them for last night, but in reality giving what might be a final declaration of your love. Checking the feed, you rewound to ensure the man was still inside and picked up Mike's tablet, the software having been uploaded onto that too. All the items were gathered and stowed safely and with a final glance backwards, the two of you left, maybe for the last time, ready to make the long walk to your destination.

You kept a close eye on the small screen and your prey, moving through Saturday night crowds with ease, being totally inconspicuous. Apart from the looks on your faces, one might think you were out for an evening stroll, taking in the sights of the city. Potential outcomes were discussed quietly and you felt Levi take your hand, walking beside each other instead of the usual way you ran behind. The possibility that the CCTV was being used by the inhabitant of the dilapidated building was great and you imagined that once inside, you would have little time to seek out your target. Also, you had to be prepared for any kind of weapon, but one thing seemed to work in your favour. The men that had been working for him were seemingly all gone, three by your hands and two by his. If there were more, surely something would have been done by now, so this man was most likely alone.

Smoking a cigarette, you kept a watchful eye on the tablet as you made your way through increasingly deserted roads, Levi's arm now around your waist. No more words were exchanged, they weren't needed and you passed the small device to him to stash in his large coat pocket. Entering the final barren back street, you approached the rear door to the building, pulling your own hoods up and keeping your backs to the camera. If the guy was watching, perhaps he wouldn't be able to tell who it was at least and with a clear, single minded goal emblazoned on your brains, knives were taken and the entrance pushed open wide.

Wooden stairs lay before you and they looked decidedly unsafe, planks sitting at dangerous angles that would no doubt creak when you stepped on them. A glance beyond showed the old store front, devoid of anything now other than a pile of junk mail by the door. So it was upwards or nothing and with a grim expression, you carefully climbed the staircase, avoiding cracks and loose boards, making the ascent as silently as possible. The next floor was a thin corridor and it smelt of damp, the small window at the far end offering slight illumination from the street lights.

Four doors lay in the walls and with soft steps, you padded across the stained carpet. Levi sprang into each opening, ready to fight, but each room was as empty as the ground floor had been. It left one option. The top level - then as if to confirm the thought, a light crack was heard from floorboards above, suggesting someone moving around up there. With a quick glance and nod, you slithered up stairs, gripping the smooth handle of your blade, heart racing. Reaching the end of the line, you were greeted by one solitary door, light spilling from the gap beneath it, a shadow crossing the path of the bulb's rays. In a moment of total clarity, you locked eyes with Levi, unspoken words channelling between one another and you pushed the door open.

Closing it, you noticed other exits that were evident on the walls, presumably leading to a place to sleep and a place to wash. Not that this person seemed to do much of the latter, as the air was thick with the slightly sweet smell of body odour and what seemed to be white spirits. At the back of the space sat a small, filthy kitchen, gas stove covered in grease and sink full of dirty, food encrusted dishes. But the main focus was the wooden desk in the middle of the room and the man who sat grinning behind it, hands on his lap out of sight. With a joyous yet deathly tone, he spoke. "I wondered when you'd finally figure it all out, (F/N). But then I suppose you've only discovered the who, not the why." It was true, you had found the man but had no idea what his motives were. The shock discovery rendered you speechless for a moment, but Levi was ready to go.

He snarled, voice dark and dripping with murder. "What the fuck is going on?" The man responsible for all of this smiled, wide grin turning your stomach at the intent that lay there and he shrugged before starting to clarify. 

"The two of you are a danger now. I can't let you run around free, ruling the roost as it were. I honestly didn't think you'd get this far, but from what I've seen, it's clear now. It's you or me." Shaking your head, you glared down at the figure behind the desk, not ready to be fobbed off with that kind of scant explanation. 

"Cut the shit, Kenny. What was this all fucking for?" The answer you received from your old boss was infuriating, but it all started to make sense.

"I agreed with Levi that you were probably useful for more than money, but I wanted to test out his abilities too, so I decided to have some fun. At least that's how it started. The further this went on, the more I knew that when you two get together, it spells trouble for me." Pausing, he scratched at his weathered face and continued. "I'll tell you, it's been entertaining, even if you did kill my three men. Who, by the way, I recruited from out of town. But what sealed the deal was when you went and fucking saved your brother. That money was going to be for me to live on, spend my remaining days in luxury instead of this shit hole. I had to stay in the background, having no one else on my side after I had to shoot those two fucking idiots for leaving the fag unattended."

Something wasn't right and you spoke up. "What do you mean, no one on your side?" He sighed, an over dramatic gesture. 

"I'd lost respect. Everyone looked up to my midget of a nephew, not me. My own fault I suppose, I should have seen he was strong enough to challenge my authority. Whether he realised he was doing it or not." Levi's sneer pulled across his lips, disgust apparent in his burning stare as he listened to his uncle. "So you see, I can't have you around if I want to regain my position." One thing still nagged at you and with a growl you asked your last question. 

"What was on the memory stick that you had delivered to yourself?" Laughter rang out, the cracking sound making you cringe as it turned into a hacking cough. 

"Nothing, (F/N). Nothing at all. I just wanted to fuck with you."

Fury coursed through your veins, but you were still lucid enough to take note of a few things in a millisecond. There was a rubber tube running down the room, slightly camouflaged by the rancid carpet and it seemed to go from the kitchen to the desk. By Kenny's feet was a stack of papers. Also, there was an open laptop on the table which was angled away slightly but allowed a glimpse at what was there. As presumed, the camera feed outside this building was present, but it was joined by the coffee shop and your old building. Of course. In your haste, you'd totally forgotten the list of premises covered by the same company and how this place was probably on it. Not that it mattered now, but it pissed you off to know you'd missed something. It made you think of something else, but Levi had realised it first, final thoughts on the situation voiced.

"You were watching us in that place, saw us in the building and set that fucking bomb off as soon as she got close." It wasn't a question, but Kenny nodded all the same and with the image of your injuries clearly in his mind, Levi began to move, blade gleaming in the dim light. He was quickly stopped before he even left your side by a raised gun. His uncle shook his head and tutted. 

"Silly boy. Never bring a knife to a gun fight, Levi." He was a step ahead, he thought and grinned with yellow teeth up at the two who had started out as a fun pass time. "Who do I shoot first? Hmm? I think, (F/N). What do you say? Then you can watch her die." He didn't expect the next reaction and faltered as two small smiles looked down at him.

With quick, smug words and a hidden movement, Levi spoke as he reached behind you to pull out the gun that sat in your waistband. "Kenny, fuck off. The safety's on." Before the older man could realise his mistake and rectify it, the arm of his nephew was raised in a swift, fluid movement and he didn't even hear the shot. The wide eyed corpse slumped slightly, the sound of blood hitting the carpet from the gaping, splintered hole in the back of his skull being the only noise, but Kenny's body remained upright and you saw a hand flop to the side. The rubber tubing was released and you followed it with narrow eyes to where it ended, but not without first noticing there was a button at the closest point, the part that Kenny had been holding down. A fail safe. It was attached to the stove and you breathed in to speak just as you heard a click.

"Levi it's…" You didn't need to finish as flames sprung from the cooker, ignited by a mechanism that had been planned all along in case things went south. All at once it made sense why it smelt of white spirits in here. The yellow flickers of heat spread fast, hungrily eating up the intentionally spilt flammable liquid with a blue tinge that moved to lead the fire to the desk and the old, dry heap of paper beneath. It came so fast and the small room was ablaze in no time, thick toxic smoke causing you both to choke as you struggled with the door. When it had closed earlier, it locked and there was no key visible. Coughing wildly, you felt dangerous warmth on your back and a hand pushed you sideways and with his own laboured breathing, Levi kicked out, sending the door flying from it's hinges and grabbing your hand.

With immense speed, you stumbled down the stairs, jumping the last four and hitting the ground running. Out in the wide back alley, you stood a safe distance away by a wall, gazing up at the building that was quickly being engulfed by destructive but hypnotic fire. You were side by side, hand in hand, the flames lighting up two sets of eyes with dancing motions. It was over. In an unexpected twist of fate, you had finally brought down your hidden assailant and a voice spoke quietly next to you. "You know Kenny's bank details?" Unable to drag your stare away, you hummed in response, smile growing as you realised what was coming. With his own smirk, Levi questioned you once more. "Can you do a reverse transfer?" Grinning widely now, you replied. 

"Mmm hmm."

The grip on your hand increased and you stood together, shadows playing on the ground behind you, bodies silhouetted by the bright conflagration that ate up the useless old store with hunger. Slowly, you turned to meet the eyes of the man you loved, the man you were now free with and listened to his plan. "We deserve a fucking holiday, (F/N). How's your French?" Giving him a small laugh, you shook your head. 

"Fucking shocking, Levi." He laughed too and led you away, the sound of sirens in the distance as you left the scene of your final show down, strolling down the street like you hadn't a care in the world. And you didn't. You were at peace.

~~~~~~

Your holiday had turned into something of an epic trek around Europe, two months of discovery and adventure. You'd tasted local delicacies and joined in enthusiastically with the customs of every country and province you visited, the favourite clearly being a beer festival. Mike had been left in charge after Levi told everyone who needed to know that the blonde was to be respected as if it were him giving the instructions. You'd kept in touch with Eren and Mikasa regularly, your brother having moved back to Jean's now that the threat was eliminated. Annie had started work at Erwin's, adding to the already inbred nature of the shop and from what you had been told, the owner had a new man on the scene.

The sight of the warehouse came into view in the evening moonlight as Reiner once more played driver for the two of you, slightly grudgingly albeit, but as Levi was now obviously the head of the organisation, he couldn't really refuse. With a muttered farewell, the car pulled away and you entered the building, cases in tow. Mike grinned and rushed over, shaking his friend's hand and hugging you tightly. "Ok, that's enough, don't fucking squeeze too hard." He laughed and released you at your request, looking over at the two who had finally returned. 

"I thought you were never coming back, Levi! Fully expected you to call and tell me you'd bought a house out there or something!"

Hearing a crash and raised voices, you rolled your eyes as the dark haired man growled. "I should have fucking stayed out there, Mike. What the fuck are they doing back?" A shrug was offered in response, along with an admittedly fair answer. 

"You weren't here, so I said it was ok." Promising to continue the discussion later, you were instructed into the lift and slowly ascended to the top floor. The door was opened, shoes slipped off and you were picked up, laughing as you were carried over the threshold. It was what newly weds did, right? A decision had been made, spur of the moment over the breakfast you had shared one morning and appropriate clothing had been purchased once a small registry office had been sourced.

You hadn't worn a conventional white dress, but an elegant light number and Levi had opted for a perfectly fitting black suit. The fact that those closest to you might be upset about not being present had crossed your mind briefly, but mainly it was all about the moment, as was true in so many aspects of your relationship. How Mike had failed to notice the matching bands on your fingers, you'd never know. Maybe you had a different scent too, but he'd seemed oblivious. Unbeknownst to you, he'd seen the rings straight away and smelt the joy on you both, however decided to let you get settled before pouncing.

As the noises below gained volume, you were placed gently on the bed and joined instantly, a strong kiss on your lips that you reciprocated fervently. Levi pulled back and stared into your eyes as a glass smashed somewhere. With a sigh, he stroked your cheek softly and murmured with what was both a grumble and something else. Decisiveness? Strength? Either way, it made your heart jump. "Fuck it, (F/N). I don't need all of this shit. It's time. How do you feel about a house in the country?" Smiling, you nodded, thinking how you had experienced your fair share of excitement for one life. The emotions that acts of crime had awakened in you previously had taken a back seat and had absolutely no effect on how you felt about Levi, no detrimental connotations for your sex life. The flame that had been lit by him was strong and it continued to burn brightly every single day.

Before your new husband set about sending you crazy with passion again, he spoke once more. "I think I could get used to some of those ideas now." Seeing your frown, he smiled at your beautiful features, even if they were confused and he clarified. "The picket fence? Dog in the garden? Kids hanging off my legs?" Laughing, you playfully slapped his arm and he delivered the last words of the exchange whilst pulling at your top. "As long as I'm with you, (F/N). We can do anything when we're together."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is that! Hope you enjoyed :)


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